FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, January 28, 2024
DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20 | 1 CORINTHIANS 7:32-35 | MARK 1:21-28
The Pastor’s Reflections
For the past two weeks we’ve focused our attention on accounts of the call of the apostles. Today we begin a year-long reflection on Jesus’ ministry as it’s presented in the gospel of Mark. His presentation is the most economical of all the evangelists. For example, in just twenty verses of his first chapter he describes John the Baptist and his ministry, the baptism of Jesus, his temptation in the desert and the call of the first apostles. In verse twenty-one of that same chapter, he begins his presentation of Jesus’ ministry. Today we’ll reflect on Mark’s account of the first day of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus was an itinerate preacher. He taught on hillsides, along the Sea of Galilee and in the neighborhood synagogues. He began his ministry by visiting the synagogue in Capernaum. For us to get a good picture of what happened there we need to understand the role of the synagogue in Jesus’ day.
We tend to think of the synagogue as a Jewish church, with a rabbi functioning in a way similar to a priest or minister. This is somewhat true of the synagogue of today, but in Jesus’ day, the temple in Jerusalem was THE center of prayer and worship. There, the great liturgical feasts were celebrated with solemnity and music. There, the daily sacrifices were offered by the priests. Unlike the temple, the synagogue wasn’t primarily a place of prayer, though morning, afternoon and evening prayers were recited there.
By law, every Jewish community of at least ten households were obliged to have a synagogue. It was essentially an educational institution and functioned like a community center. It was led by the President who was responsible for the schedule of prayer and the daily distribution of alms. He was assisted by the Minister who cared for the sacred scrolls, the maintenance of the building and the education of the children. However, the synagogue didn’t have a resident preacher/rabbi as it does today. It was up to the President to establish a roster of speakers who would be competent to preach to the community on the Sabbath.
We have to remember that the Torah, the first five books of the bible, were revered as the direct instruction of God. The devout Jew devoted his life to the study of the Torah and its interpretation, called the Talmud. Over time, a group of scholars developed called the scribes. They were the experts in the Torah, the Law. They extracted rules and regulations from the Law and were always ready to find additional ways to expand them. They were responsible for evolving the commandments from the ten articulated in the bible to 613! They, with the assistance of the Pharisees, managed to deconstruct Judaism into a mass of legalistic hoops. When Jesus preached in the synagogue in Capernaum that Sabbath day, everyone immediately knew that he was special.
The congregants exclaimed, “What is this? A new teaching with authority.” Jesus’ message was fresh and from the heart. He didn’t generate new laws for the people to follow. He enriched the principles of the Law by adding compassion and love to them. As he would later teach, “I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.” He freed the peoples’ spirits by lifting the heavy weight of the Law that the scribes and Pharisees laid on them. He called them to a new way of life.
“Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take MY yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves, for MY yoke is easy, and MY burden light.” He not only preached a different message from the scribes, he backed up his message with tremendous spiritual power. That day he showed that he was a powerful exorcist.
There was a man in the synagogue with “an unclean spirit.” As soon as he saw Jesus the spirit that possessed him gave testimony to Jesus. The man shouted out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” Jesus issued a simple response. “Quiet! Come out of him.”
What have we learned from this first day of Jesus’ ministry? We’ve learned that Jesus was a breath of fresh air for the people of his day. Some kind of change was coming, the people could feel it in the compassion and loving concern that Jesus generated. He spoke his message from the heart. It was a message of hope and love. The kingdom of God was at hand.
There was power behind Jesus’ message, even the spirits of darkness recognized it. The spirit in the possessed man called Jesus “the Holy One of God.” The spirit acknowledged that Jesus had power over him, and even asked if he had come to destroy him.
For us, the lesson from this first day of Jesus’ ministry is clear and simple. If we’re going to take up the ministry of Jesus we must be of like spirit: compassionate, hopeful and loving. His ministry was a ministry of the heart. If we’re to follow him we must liberate our hearts by accepting God’s unconditional and transformative love. That’s the first step in answering his call. The second step is to become a conduit of God’s love for those who are searching for God, or for those whose hope is weak or depleted.
By our Christ-like lives we can join him in building the kingdom of God on earth one day at a time.
- Published in Church Reflections
In Loving Memory of Ellen Kieran Hagan
Ellen Kieran Hagan was born in the tiny village of Drumass, Inniskeen, County Monaghan, Ireland on September 28th, 1920. She was the daughter of Rose and Michael Kieran and one of seven children. She grew up in a two room Irish cottage and worked alongside her family on their farm. It was there that she was first instilled with the virtues and dignity to be found in hard and honest work, virtues that stayed with her throughout her long life.
At the age of 19, word came from America that her beloved Aunt Mary Breen, who emigrated from Ireland earlier, had saved enough money to sponsor one of the Kieran children to take up a new life with her in New York. Despite her love for home, Ellen eagerly embraced the opportunity. She later recalled being told that the streets of New York were paved with gold and the young girls were all attired in silk dresses. And so she said a melancholy but confident farewell to Inniskeen and followed in the footsteps of so many before her in sailing “across the broad Atlantic” to the shores of America.
Ellen quickly acclimated to her exciting new life on the West Side of Manhattan and loved to attend the Irish dances that were so prevalent then. But she soon discovered that no gold bricks were to be found on the streets of the City and so she found employment as a cashier in the Schrafft’s restaurant chain. There she put to good use her lifelong skill at managing money. Her sharp brain was always a good match for even the most modern computer!
It was at Schrafft’s that she soon caught the eye of a fellow employee. John Hagan was a handsome red-haired Irishman, himself the child of Irish immigrants. The romance soon blossomed and they were wed on June 11th, 1949.
John and Ellen settled down on East 76th Street in Manhattan, eventually bringing with them Ellen’s beloved Aunt Mary, who she was lovingly devoted to until her passing in 1966. Their family grew to include their two sons and a daughter, making for a very happy life indeed.
Sadly, in 1968 tragedy struck with John’s sudden and unexpected passing at the age of 46. Despite her devastation, Ellen’s deeply religious faith never waivered, and she prayed to find a way to somehow carry on her life. Shortly thereafter, that way came when she was offered the opportunity to work for the Parish of Saint Jean Baptiste. She was employed first in the office of Saint Anne’s Shrine and later as the Parish Secretary, a position she held with great pride until retiring (with some measure of hesitation) at age 95. She cherished her wonderful relationship with the Saint Jean Baptiste Parish Community, where she attained iconic status and where she will always be loved and admired.
In her legendary career as Parish Secretary, Ellen had the honor of meeting such celebrities as former President Nixon, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the singer Bono, her dear friend Cardinal O’Connor, and so many famous celebrities from around the world. She also would be visited daily by the hungry and destitute seeking assistance from the hardships of life. No matter their station in life, Ellen treated everyone she met with the same dignity and respect. She neither bowed down to anyone nor looked down on anyone, and she had no use for arrogance or pretense.
Ellen was predeceased by her beloved husband, parents and siblings. Left to cherish her memory are her children, John, Edward (Karen) and Roseanne Hagan-Laverty (Patrick); her grandchildren, Daniel Hagan, Erin McNamara (Patrick) and Eileen Laverty, and her many nieces, nephews, and their families, in America, Ireland and England.
In lieu of flowers, Ellen would have greatly appreciated contributions to her beloved Shrine of Saint Anne at Saint Jean Baptiste Church.
To donate to St. Anne’s Shrine in honor of Ellen Hagan, please make a check payable to Eglise St. Jean Baptiste and note on the check
Ellen/St. Anne
Send to: St. Jean Baptiste Att: Lennix Lewis 184 East 76th Street New York, NY
- Published in Memorials
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, January 21, 2024
JONAH 3:1-5,10 | 1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31 | MARK 1:14-20
The Pastor’s Reflections
Last week we reflected on the account of the call of the first disciples as told in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist saw Jesus from afar, pointed to him and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God.” That short phrase was enough for two of the Baptist’s disciples to leave him to follow Jesus – literally. They began stalking him. He turned around and confronted them with life’s most profound question. “What are you looking for?”
Their answer may seem a bit silly at first, but it really wasn’t. Their answer, “Where are you staying?” was just the first of many questions. They wanted to know who this man was. They wanted to know what John meant when he called Jesus the Lamb of God. Was he the Messiah?
Jesus answered them with an invitation. “Come and see.” They did. They followed him. From that moment, four o’clock in the afternoon as we’re told, they followed him. They became his disciples.
This week the evangelist, Mark, relates a different version of the story. He doesn’t begin the story at the Jordan River with John the Baptist pointing to Jesus. Mark tells us that John had been arrested. Shortly after the arrest, Jesus began preaching in Galilee. His message was simple but wonderful. “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
It was so simple, the good news gospel he preached. He said it was the fullness of time. All the prophecies had come together. The kingdom of God was here. but it wasn’t the beginning of Israel’s Golden Age. The Kingdom of God was here, but its capital wasn’t Jerusalem.
Walking along the Sea of Galilee Jesus began to gather disciples. The first were Simon and his brother, Andrew. They were busy casting their nets. He shouted out to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He gave no explanation, only an invitation. They, too, made an immediate about face. “They abandoned their nets and followed him.”
Then he walked up to James and John who were working in their father’s small fishing business, and called them. They, too, made an about face. They dropped the nets they were mending and left their father with the boat and with the hired hands.
For Simon and Andrew and James and John a new life began that day. They heard his call and took a radical step. They abandoned their past and began to walk along a new path. It was the road to the Kingdom of God. Little by little, they would discover that their journey didn’t lead to a country or a city. It was a journey to the heart. They would eventually understand his teaching, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
- Published in Church Reflections
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, January 14, 2024
1 SAMUEL 3:3B-10,19 | 1 CORINTHIANS 6:13C-15A, 17-20 | JOHN 1:35-42
The Pastor’s Reflections
“John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold. The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’”
When I stand at the altar in St. Jean’s, I face the stained-glass window that’s above the ceremonial central door of the church. It depicts John the Baptist pointing at Jesus as he walks by. Andrew and another of John’s disciples look on. Under the scene are the words, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Those are our words of welcome to the visitor, the stranger, Christian and non-Christian.
Behind me, on the high altar with its gleaming sunburst monstrance some forty feet above the sanctuary floor, John the Baptist appears again. He stands at the base of the sun with his arm stretched above his head. His index finger points to the host at the center of the sun. Here, he witnesses to Jesus a second time, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
In the evangelist’s account of this moment, Andrew and the other disciple followed after Jesus as soon as they heard John’s testimony. After a few moments Jesus turned around, looked at them, and asked, “What are you looking for?”
Jesus asks the same question of everyone who walks into our churches. His question defines our ministry. Through us, Jesus gives the same answer he gave to Andrew and the other disciple, “Come, and you will see.”
As we begin a new year, let’s re-commit ourselves to Father Eymard’s charism of invitation and welcome. Let’s raise our arms and silently point to “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Let’s invite everyone, and anyone, to bring their burdens, to lay them at the feet of the Lamb. Let’s encourage them to breathe deeply, to fill their lungs with the breath of the Spirit. Let’s help them listen to Jesus’ message to them. “Behold, I make all things new.”
- Published in Church Reflections
THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY, January 7, 2024
ISAIAH 60:1-6 | EPHESIANS 3:2-3A, 5-6 | MATTHEW 2:1-12
The Pastor’s Reflections
“Where is this newborn king of the Jews?”
—-Matthew 2:1
It’s an interesting fact that the feast of the Epiphany has been celebrated much longer than Christmas. Epiphany was solidly in place on the Christian calendar by the end of the 3 rd century, whereas Christmas took a while longer to evolve; it wasn’t celebrated universally until the 8 th century. It was the Eastern Church that gave us the Feast of the Epiphany. The Greek word means manifestation – God appearing among us.
The star in Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus is the central image of the feast. It was the light that led to Bethlehem, the birthplace of “the newborn King of the Jews.”
From the very beginning, this story has been the spiritual icon of humankind’s search for God. It’s also interesting to see how the Eastern Church has integrated the star into the liturgy.
Above the paten, the dish that holds the bread for the Eucharist, a cross-shaped dome, called the asterisk, is placed over the bread. From the asterisk hangs a small star – the star of Bethlehem. It’s a tiny beacon guiding the faithful to “the newborn king of the Jews.”
The Feast of the Epiphany speaks to us of our personal and communal pilgrimage – a journey just like the Magi’s. Every day of our lives we take another step in our journey. Like the Magi, there will be days when we feel sure-footed and the mysterious star we’re following is clear and bright, and we feel we’re getting closer to our journey’s end. We’re filled with hope and joy.
The Magi’s journey also cautions us for the days when every step we take is drudgery, our feet like lead, and the path steeper with every step. Sometimes, the star may even disappear. Patiently, or sometimes despondently, we might need to pause as we wait for the dark clouds to disappear. The Eastern Church, with its tiny star suspended over the Eucharistic bread, teaches us an important lesson. The Christian journey is long and difficult. Like the Magi, we’ll be challenged over and over again, but we can stop along the way to strengthen ourselves. We can feed our souls with the Bread of Life.
In the Western Church we’ve named the communion we receive at the last moments of our earthly lives, viaticum. It means food for the journey. The Feast of the Epiphany is our yearly reminder that, in mystery, we reach the goal of our journey whenever we receive the Eucharist. Like the Magi, we follow a star. It’s the light of our faith guiding us through the challenges of the journey. As we long for rest and comfort along the way, we’re fed by the very object of our journey. The Eastern Church gives us a beautiful symbol today – the little star suspended above the Bread of Life.
- Published in Church Reflections
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD, January 1, 2024
NUMBERS 6:22-27 | GALATIANS 4:4-7 | LUKE 2:16-21
The Pastor’s Reflections
When I was a child, still in grade school, I always stayed up with the adults until midnight on New Year’s Eve. There was lots of food and homemade holiday pastries. Sometimes my uncle, who lived in the same building two floors below us, would take out his accordion and play the same songs he always played when he took out his accordion. I found it interesting that he always tapped his foot to the beat of the song as he rocked back and forth on his chair. But when midnight finally came, and uncle Henry played Auld Lang Syne, everybody would hug and kiss and cry, uncle Henry included. I understood the hugging and kissing, but I never understood the crying. In fact, that moment always made me want to cry, too!
Looking for an answer, as I was writing this reflection, I consulted the all-knowing master, Google. Here’s what I found. Auld Lang Syne “evokes an undeniable sentimentality, a disorienting nostalgia, an instantaneous affection for the
people around you at the exact moment, loved ones and strangers alike.”
It seems that this melody, accompanying words we don’t immediately understand, has the magical ability to touch the deepest desires of our hearts. It dissolves the walls that separate us, and it gently lights the inner candle of hope.
This year I won’t be listening to uncle Henry’s accordion. I won’t be giving a hug and a kiss to relatives, but I’ll probably get choked up again when I hear the magical melody at midnight.
Instead of singing and crying with you, I’d like to offer you best wishes and a blessing. This is the blessing we’ll be hearing at Mass today.
“The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you And be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”
Numbers 6:24-26
- Published in Church Reflections
