This homily is based on Mark 1:12-15 for the First Sunday of Lent.
Before the baptism by the Jordan, there was the baptism in the desert. Before the waters of the river were poured on him by a reluctant prophet, over his head was spilled sand.
This homily is based on Mark 1:40-45.
Many years ago when I was still a Jesuit novice, I was assigned to work for a month as an orderly in the charity spinal ward of National Orthopedic Hospital. The nurses were overworked and counted on us to help them out with the non-medical care of the patients. The patients, whose beds were crammed into four wards, had many needs because they were all paralyzed either from the waist down or worse, the neck down.
This homily is based on Mark 1:29-39.
The Gospel reading today could have been entitled, “A Day in the Life of Jesus.” It’s what biblical scholars would call a typical day in the life of our Lord during his public ministry. It’s a pretty busy day, with lots of people demanding his attention and asking for his help. And generously, almost breathlessly, the Lord responds to them, one after the other.
This homily is based on Mark 1:21-28.
There are many dramatic exorcism stories in the Gospel, complete with the usual signs of demonic possession: foaming in the mouth, gnashing of teeth, abnormal body contortions, or just possession by an entire legion of demons.
This isn’t one of them. If this were a fantasy or sci-fi movie, it would be pathetically bereft of CGI effects.
This homily is based on Mark 1:14-20 and Jonah 3:1-5, 10.
I’ve read this account of the Call of the First Disciples so often before, but it’s only my reading it this time around that something struck me as funny: Is it merely coincidental that our Lord chances upon these two sets of brothers in the midst of working with their nets? Think about it: Andrew and Simon casting their nets, and John and James mending theirs. Then out of nowhere comes this Nazarene who invites them to follow him, and the first thing these disciples do–these “fishers of men”–is to leave their nets behind.