Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • September 3, 2021 5 9274 Hwy 49/Airport Gulfport, MS 39503 228-863-5525 1-800-880-2446 FAX: 228-863-9612 www.butchoustalet.com Recently, I saw a sign that read, “Due to the current political, social, financial, and spiritual climate, worsened by the pandemic, the light at the end of the tunnel has gone out.” For those whose citizenship is tied to earth rather than heaven, who focus on present conditions only and give little or no allegiance to the conquering Christ -- darkness could certainly be life’s reality. Conversely, for the faithful who believe and express that belief in worship, trust, service, and living according to God’s truths, the light at the end of the tunnel burns brightly. All people and things have their origin in God and are sustained continuously by Him. In Isaiah, chapters 33 and 34, which immediately precedes today’s first reading, the prophet, proclaims God’s pledge to destroy Israel’s enemies and release them from captivity, injustice, and suffering. His message in today’s reading continues a restorative theme with a list of tangible and contrasting actions Godwill carry out. He gives strength for fear, vindication for injustice, recompense for past sufferings and salvation for those lost. The implication is when people long for God’s nearness, petition for God’s healing, and remain obedient to God’s will, then the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap for joy, the mute will sing, and springs of water will pool in the desert -- all tangible and metaphorical manifestations of God’s presence, power, and love. If you want to make this message more memorable listen to the song: “Beauty for Ashes” -- Crystal Lewis. Psalm 146 is a call to trust in God. To substantiate his claim that God can be trusted, the Psalmist enumerates the things he has done and continues to do. God keeps faith forever (will never give up on us), secures justice for the oppressed (intervenes in our lives), feeds the hungry (literally and spiritually with the Eucharist), sets captives free (be bound to nothing except the Lord), gives sight to the blind (literally through His healing power and spiritually by His truth), shall reign forever (is unchanging and all His mercies are permanent). The letter of James is designated as a Catholic (universal) epistle because it is addressed to the entire Church rather than to a specific community as were Paul’s letters. A good portion of James (chapter 1:19- 5:12) is devoted to warnings with the goal of practicing the directives that come from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s short reading deals with making judgments based on external appearances only. Then degrading the one whose appearance is less attractive to the eye. This is contrary to a Christ-like attitude. The criteria for greatness in the kingdom of God is not how much wealth, power, honor, or pleasure we enjoy on earth but how much we love Jesus and demonstrate that love by acting as Jesus did and taught. Since the world honors various forms of wealth, James cautions against this worldly spirit penetrating liturgical assemblies. If in a Christian assembly we honor a rich person because of that person’s wealth and treat badly a poor person based on their appearance only, we are then in contradiction with faith and reject conforming ourselves to Christ. Mark introduces Jesus’ shift from an exclusively Jewish mission to a universal mission (Mark 7:24ff) where all can take part in the New Covenant promises. Today’s Gospel continues with Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles. Jesus may have gone to the district of Tyre for a respite, but stirred by love and compassion, he spent eight months of his three-year earthly ministry in Gentile territory. His movement around the region is puzzling. Why would he first go north from Tyre to Sidon, then south to the area of the Decapolis? It would be like someone from Nashville intending to go to Miami but going first to Chicago. Why would He go to the Gentiles at all, was he not supposed to minister only to the house of Israel? God’s ways are not our ways. We may aspire to efficiency and self-convenience, but God seeks the lost. Jesus, Lord, Master, Redeemer, and Healer ministered to pagans and opened a window of opportunity that set the stage for future apostolic missions to the ends of the earth. Why would any of us conveniently or neatly try to packageGod to conform to our limited understanding? Jesus so inspired the Gentiles faith in God’s transforming power that they brought him a deaf man and begged for his healing touch. Compassionately, Jesus removed the man from the crowd and acted out the healing process (put his finger into the man’s ears, spitting touched his tongue and looked up to heaven). Why all this ritual? Could not Jesus have healed the man simply by willing it? Could he not have healed from a distance as he had before? Yes, He could have. But remember the hatred the Pharisees and Sadducees had for the gentiles. They would not be seen in the same company or get close to those infidels. But as an act of love, Jesus touched a leper, spoke to a Samaritan woman at a well, forgave a prostitute, dined with sinners and tax collectors. These personal acts and that of taking this deaf man aside and touching him shows that Jesus truly desires an intimate personal relationship with everyone -- including the person you and I find most difficult to love. He enters communion with us by the contact of his glorified humanity. The Eucharist, Jesus’ promise to be with us always, is the supreme testimony that Jesus wants to be one with us. At birth, we were spiritually deaf-mutes who are healed by Baptism as Christ enables us to hear the word of God and speak it to those He brings into our lives. Jesus makes it easy for anyone to come to Him with expectant faith, hope, and trust. Then, on the strength of this healing and Jesus’ positive contrasting actions among them, the crowd proclaimed in astonishment, “He has done all things well…” CLOSING REFLECTION: Is this the same true and living God we worship today? Is there anything this God cannot do? Will we dare to bring God our needs? Are our expectations heightened by the positive contrasting actions God can perform in our lives? Are you living in awe and astonishment about the mighty things God has accomplished in your life? Are you willing and ready to share the message of Jesus Christ to all you meet? Deacon Ralph Torrelli lives in Hattiesburg and is assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Visit his web- site: www.homilypearls.com. 1st Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a Psalm: 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 2nd Reading: James 2:1-5 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time God gives Deacon Torrell i Sunday Scripture Commentaries