Archive for February, 2012

Second Sunday of Lent

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13,15-18              Rom. 8: 31-34         Mark 9:2-10

The first reading concerning God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, is a difficult one for us to accept. That ancient culture was not opposed to human sacrifice, but we certainly are today. We must focus on the message which is the great faith and obedience of Abraham. In the end, he does not sacrifice his son. God intervenes and provides an animal for the sacrifice and commends Abraham for the depth of his faith and trust in God. It can be looked upon as a pre-figuration of God giving us his only son Jesus who offered himself in sacrifice for our salvation.

The Gospel reading in Mark is the story of the Transfiguration. Jesus took his closest friends to the mountaintop where they saw him transfigured in all his glory. Moses and Elijah also appear with Jesus, as signs of the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets. Peter, James and John also heard the voice of God the Father saying: “This is my beloved son. Listen to him.” I like to look upon this event as a time of encouragement for these three disciples of Jesus.

It’s a “mountain top” experience. They saw Jesus in a new light and they received a message about his true identity. They were both terrified and elated at the same time. Peter in all his normal spontaneity suggests to Jesus that they could build three tents and just stay there because all this was so wonderful.

What messages can we glean from this Gospel story? We too can sometimes feel so good about blessings and good times in our life, that we want these to just remain forever. But Jesus does take the disciples back down the mountain to ordinary life where there is work to do, pain and suffering sometimes but also the assurance that Jesus will be with them. The same is true for us. Life has its glory moments, its moments of suffering and the ordinary everydayness of work and family. The assurance is that Jesus remains with us and walks with us daily.

The question might be: “ Do we attentively walk with Jesus?”

The other poignant message comes in the words of the Father. Do we really believe that Jesus is God’s Beloved Son and that we, also, are the beloved sons and daughters of God? Faith gives us that comfort, that assurance as we go through life. We are also told by God to listen to Jesus. That’s what pondering the Gospels in our heart is all about, listening to Jesus in the Word and listening to him in our inner being.

The second reading has a powerful line: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The answer is no one and nothing! Let us remember that when we are having long and difficult days here in our work in St. Mary’s Health System or emotional trauma in our family circles. As we tend to our patients, residents and clients, may our actions and attitudes remind them that God is indeed on their side and is holding them with love and great care…

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

 

 

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First Sunday of Lent

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Sunday, February 26

Gen. 9:8-15       Peter 3:18-22         Mark 1:12-15

For too long we have thought that Lent is a time for us to sacrifice our wants and our desires, to give up things in order to devote ourselves to God. The readings for today and all the Sundays of Lent show us that, in a sense, the opposite is true. This is not a time for us to deny ourselves of something, but a time for us to receive. We are not the ones who are meant to accomplish great things for God. Rather, it is God who acts; it is God who makes the sacrifices; it is God who accomplishes great things for us.

We live in the middle of conflicts of all kinds. We become victims of forces beyond our control and we have no place to hide. We are completely vulnerable and can only cling to the hope that somehow God is with us.

In the midst of these conflicts, it is God who initiates a relationship with us. And the sign of this relationship is the “rainbow.” A rainbow usually appears after a storm. Ever since I was a kid, seeing a rainbow always made me smile. Now, whenever I see a rainbow, I feel privileged. And sometimes I’ve seen a “double rainbow.” A rainbow unites heaven and earth and is meant to reassure us that God is smiling upon us. The first scripture reading tells us that a rainbow is the sign of a pact between God and humans, not just a general pact but a personal pact. “You will be my Abba and I’ll be your loving child, and I’ll show it by the way that I act.” Every time I see a rainbow it reminds me of this “deal” with God and humanity and with my Abba and little old me.

In today’s Mass readings, twice we read the following: “one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” That is why Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert trying to figure out what His Abba wanted from Him. Only after being fed the word of His Abba was Jesus ready to start His public preaching.

It is not unlike us when we are sick enough to go to the hospital. We worry. We suffer. We are in pain. We flirt with death. And it is natural to “make a deal” with God: “If I get through this illness, then I promise . . . . . .” We make a deal! But we need to remind ourselves that we’re already in a covenant relationship with God. Being isolated in a hospital bed is like being in the desert. We are alone with ourselves, with our thoughts, with our Abba! Suffering and pain usually isolates us and also “brings us inside.” I think that it’s a good thing to “go in.” We get to know ourselves better and we can take advantage of getting in touch with what lies beneath our surface.

As I’ve said, the rainbow usually comes after a storm. And even though the storm can cause damages, the rainbow assures us that we are “in favor” with God. God is our Abba and we are God’s children! We are never, never alone, even when we feel all alone. Way down deep, below our surface conflicts, God is in us. Very comforting!

Lent is a time for us to realize and recognize that God is in us!

Kenn Rancourt
Chaplain

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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 43: 18-25 ~ Psalm 41: 2-5,13-14 ~ St. Paul 2nd letter to Corinthians ~ Mark 2:1-12

Today’s scripture readings call us to pay attention to the beautiful word, “Faith”. What is faith? Where do we get it? Why do we need it? How do we share it? Why is it so much a part of the God vocabulary?

In the first reading Isaiah the prophet quotes the Lord, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see I am doing something new! We have recently celebrated that, “something new.” The coming of Jesus Christ into the world as one of us and the beginning of a New Year are ways God shares with us God’s desire for us to grow our faith.

What is faith?  For many of us, the word can be awkward. It may be difficult to hear or understand, even more to use, because for so long it has been interpreted by many religious traditions as a test for spiritual worthiness. One was expected to possess a certain quantity of faith. If that was so, then it was expected that the terminally ill individual would get well, a hungry person would be fed, a poor man would receive riches, a person sexually different would be changed if they “only had enough faith”! How can we reclaim the word faith so that we may use it for our own healing as well as for the healing of others?

Where do we get faith?  We may begin by noting that in most ancient scriptural texts, faith is not a noun. Faith is a verb. It is not a thing and so cannot be measured or possessed. We may not look at someone and say, he or she has faith or does not.” Faith is a way of being. It is a spiritual practice, a way of discovering what is reliable and true, a way of expanding trust in our inner wisdom which comes from our creator, the Source of all good. We grow faith daily. It ebbs and flows with our daily challenges and blessings. We also grow our faith as the Hebrews, for whom faith involved a deep trust in the watchful love of God for all God’s children. Here, throughout St. Mary’s Health Care System we can surely claim relationship to the words of Isaiah, when even under the most terrible circumstances, those whose hearts are centered in the faithful care of God (every person/creature) “God shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Why do we need faith?  How can we share faith?  Watch Jesus closely. He teaches, but also learns from others. He heals, but also accepts healing. He is powerful, but humble. Our Buddhist brothers and sisters have a word for Faith: Sraddha. More than a theological doctrine, Sraddha implies a sense of trust, clarity and confidence. It literally means, “ to put one’s heart on.” Thus the practice of faith is the practice of a strong and courageous heart. Faith is a centering response; a search for our true nature, that unique nature placed within each one of us by the Spirit.

St. Paul’s second letter to the community in Corinth shows us why faith is so much a part of God’s vocabulary. He assures them that as God is faithful, so will he be as their leader and teacher. “Our word to you is not, “yes” and “no”, but as Jesus Christ: “YES”. However many are the promises of God, their “Yes” is in God. Paul goes on to say that the “Amen” (Yes), therefore goes back to God from us. God has given the Spirit to us as a first installment. God created us to invest in us; daily as we grow our faith we experience the dividends. Those experiences are our return gifts to God.

In Mark’s Gospel for this Sunday we have a great lesson on the pleasure Jesus derives from those who grow their faith. Due to the thickness of the crowd in front of the home where Jesus was teaching, a few enthusiastic followers carrying a person to be healed get creative and break open the roof, lowering the man down within the reach of Jesus. “Jesus saw their Faith”! He first assures the ‘patient’ that all faults are forgiven. There is criticism from the cynics in the crowd. Jesus stops for a moment to gently address some “stinking thinking”. He then turns and heals the paralyzed man, saying, ”rise, pick up your mat and go home.”

Let us go well and gently following the Master Teacher as we grow!

Elizabeth Lowe
Chaplain

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Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46      1Cor. 10:31-11:1          Mark 1:40-45

 The first reading from Leviticus and the Gospel story both speak of lepers. These readings also show a clear distinction between the Old Testament and the New Testament teachings. The Old Testament culture and laws segregated and shunned people who had leprosy. The same could be said about the way public sinners were treated.

In the New Testament, we see a leper coming to Jesus, kneeling and begging him for a cure with the words: “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

What great faith in Jesus’ power and mercy and what great respect for Jesus, the healer! The story continues with Jesus being moved with compassion, stretching out his hand, touching the man and saying in response: I do will it. Be made clean.” The man was immediately healed. The man went away and began to publicize what Jesus had done for him. He was so excited and so grateful to be able to return to his loved ones. Clearly the word spread and Jesus was sought after more than ever, as a merciful healer and a great teacher.

Jesus not only healed bodies but minds and hearts as well. He hung out with the poor. He ate with the sinners. He excluded no one.

We can ask ourselves if we search out Jesus in our need. We may not have leprosy, but it could be cancer, heart trouble, weakness, depression, family problems, addiction or other emotional trauma. We can learn from this leper how to ask God for something we need. We ask with hope and faith but also knowing who is really in charge. We ask with humility and with the assurance that God is with us and loves us, however our prayer is answered. I once heard that when answering us, God sometimes says “yes,” sometimes “no” and sometimes “not yet.” Are we ready for any of those answers to prayer? We can be sure that Jesus will reach out and touch us one way or another. It could be through a friend, a family member, a doctor or nurse, a counselor, a chaplain or simply in the depths of our own being.

In the second reading, Paul encourages us to do everything for the glory of God

and to be imitators of Jesus Christ. As health care workers in St. Mary’s Health System our mission is to continue the ministry of Jesus in the spirit of St. Marguerite d’Youville by providing preventive, curative, and supportive services with compassion and respect for everyone. We have an example of Jesus’ compassion and love in the Gospel story today. May we keep as our goal to imitate him in that way.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

 

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Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Sunday, Feburary 5, 2012

Job 7:1-7 1             Cor. 9:16-23          Mark 1:29-39

Today we read about Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. Let me give you a little background. This gospel reading is about Jesus’ first full working day. He had preached in the Synagogue and had chased away His first evil spirit. And when He healed Peter’s mother-in-law, rumor about the healing spread. Since it was the Sabbath day, people did not travel to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house because of the many restrictive Sabbath laws. At sunset, when Sabbath was over, the crowds started to come from everywhere with their sick. The whole town seemed to be gathering at Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. Jesus healed many of them, but He could not heal them all. He simply did not have the time. (It would be like opening a new hospital for all the sick, free of charge.) Think of the long line of people waiting and pushing to get services. Police would be needed just to keep order.

After a hectic day, Jesus finally went to bed really tired. (I can’t imagine that He slept really well.) Early the next morning Jesus heard the crowd of sick people starting to assemble back at the house. So Jesus got up before anybody else, left the house through the back door and went to an isolated place to pray, to get in touch with His Abba. Peter went out to find Jesus. “Oh there you are! You have to come back to the house, all kinds of sick people are waiting for you!” Jesus actually refused. His first recorded conflict with Peter. He knew that He could not do it alone. He had not come to start a “healing mission.” In the synagogue He had said that He had “come to heal the broken hearted.” He wanted to heal Simon and Andrew and James and John of that brokenness of our hearts that does not let us move while the poor are hungry and babies are dying, children are lost and wars are waged, and young girls are sold. And Peter kept saying: “No. Stay here and heal the sick!”

After conferring with His Abba, Jesus said: “No, I have to go preach and heal elsewhere.” There comes a time in all our lives when we have to say “No!” A time when we realize that certain things we cannot do by ourselves. Jesus met His limit on the first day of His ministry. The message Jesus got from His Abba was clear. What Abba wanted was more important to Him than sick people waiting to be healed.

I personally believe that if we were to get in touch with our Abba the way Jesus did, we would be able to heal people and drive out demons too! Jesus actually showed us how to do this. What are we waiting for?

P.S. We are part of a Health Care Team because no one can do it all! We need each other and each other’s skills. That’s why we are a team! But the glue that keeps us together is the patient’s needs and the clear realization that all our patients are made in our Abba’s image. “Whenever you did it to the least of mine, you did it to me!” Working in the health field is more than a job, it’s a calling!

Kenn Rancourt, Chaplain

 

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