St Margaret Roman Catholic Church

6th Week in Ordinary Time

Do you still not understand? (Mark 8:21)

Twice in today’s Gospel, Jesus asked his apostles, “Do you not yet understand? . . . Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:17, 21). The answer is obvious. The apostles thought Jesus was lecturing them about their irresponsibility in forgetting to bring enough bread for their journey (8:16). But Jesus was after something much more important.

When Jesus told them, “Guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod,” he was talking about corrupt teaching that imposes burdensome laws, employs a double standard, and seeks for personal gain (Mark 8:15).

Jesus was also telling the apostles that he was capable of meeting all of their needs. You can hear him saying, “Can’t you remember? Didn’t you see me take a few loaves and feed everyone? Didn’t you gather up many baskets of leftovers? Why would you ever doubt me?”

So what lessons can we glean from this?

First, don’t reduce your faith to a matter of obeying laws and commandments. If you do, you risk falling into the trap of feeling good about yourself if you succeed and feeling miserable if you feel you have failed. There is so much more to the life of faith than upholding God’s laws.

Second, let Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes build up your faith in his love for you. He knows how difficult it can be to believe in something that seems illogical at first—something like a miracle. But this is exactly what Jesus asks us to do every day. He asks us to put our whole hope in him even though we can’t see him. He asks us to believe that he will provide for us. He asks us to believe that he can lead us to heaven.

If we trust only in what we see, we will limit what Jesus can do in us. Instead, let the miracle of the loaves help you see that Jesus is both willing and able to meet your needs.

John’s Gospel tells us that the apostles eventually understood (16:30). We can understand too—if we persist in faith and believe in the One who loves us unconditionally.

“Jesus, help me to understand. Help me believe that you can satisfy my deepest desires. O Lord, I trust in you.”

Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10

6th Week in Ordinary Time

Sin is a demon lurking at the door . . . yet you can be his master. (Genesis 4:7)

This story starts off with great promise. Both Cain and Abel have prepared their offerings to the Lord. They know that God has created and sustained them. They know that everything comes from him and that offering a sacrifice is only right. We also know that God sees Cain’s heart when Cain’s sacrifice falls short and that he knows the temptation Cain is facing.

We also see God make a promise to Cain. He offers him the strength to turn away from anger and jealousy. He is ready to help Cain “master” the sin that is tempting him (Genesis 4:7).

Here again is another sign that God had not abandoned his people after Adam and Eve fell into sin. Here we see God talking directly to Cain, encouraging him and steering him in the right direction. He isn’t asking Cain to rely on his own strength alone; he offers divine strength to help him.

God is offering his same divine strength to you as well. He knows your heart. He knows whom you struggle to love. He knows the angers you harbor. Yet he is speaking to you, just as he spoke to Cain, and promising you the grace to master your own sin. He invites you to bring your temptations before him so that he can help you with his grace. He is asking you to listen to him so that he can help you find the way to love.

Right now, imagine yourself in this scene. Imagine God is calling your name as he called out to Cain. You might hear him asking you a question similar to the one he asked Cain: Why are you resentful? Why are you dwelling on this temptation? As you consider how to answer, be assured that God is patiently waiting for you to ask for his help. He is offering you an exchange: your anger for divine strength. Your jealousy for healing. Your resentment for a changed heart.

God makes these exact same offers when you face every kind of temptation. He is always with you. He knows your heart, and he is always ready to offer you his grace to help you gain mastery over every sin.

“Lord, help me look to you for your divine strength in the face of every temptation.”

Psalm 50:1, 8, 16-17, 20-21
Mark 8:11-13

BY: HEIDI BRATTON

Two meditations that illustrate the power of prayer in the life of others and ours.

The Power of Our Prayers

My young son and I enjoy playing by a little stream near our house. One pleasant afternoon, his little wooden boat (actually just a disk of wood) got stuck on top of a large flat rock in the stream. Not missing a beat, he grabbed a stick and reached way over the water trying to dislodge it with the stick. Unfortunately, his stick was too short. Reaching out just a little too far, he lost his balance and fell into the stream hands first.

Amazingly, the slight change in water level and the redirecting of water currents from his hands thrusting into the water were just enough to lift his boat off the rock and set it free. Without ever touching the boat, my son’s actions freed the boat from being snagged and allowed it to continue on its way downstream.

Watching this scene unfold from the opposite side of the stream, I suddenly understood the effects of intercessory prayer. As it was with my son and his stick, oftentimes it is beyond our reach to give direct help to someone who has run into a snag in life. However, in some mystical way God has set up the spiritual realm like a body of water. Our diving into the water with prayers, petitions, praises, and sacrifices changes the course of the spiritual currents, effecting change for those who need help by bringing God’s peace into stressful or chaotic situations.

Imagine someone doing a cannonball into a backyard pool. Everything floating in the pool is affected by the waves and the rise in water level. In a lighthearted way, we could call intercessory prayer a “spiritual cannonball” and understand why it is that the more often we “jump” (pray), the better. All the more reason to “jump” higher and harder!

When I begin to doubt the effectiveness of intercessory prayer, I recall my son’s falling in the stream and how it set his little boat free. Then I resolve to do some spiritual cannonballs!

Lord Jesus, you are my peace. Help me to delight in knowing that prayer works! Remind me to do “spiritual cannonballs” for peace in the world, in my community, in my home, and in my heart.

The Snares of the Devil

It is a habit in some parishes to pray the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel at the end of each Mass. It is a short but powerful prayer:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

I especially love two images in this prayer. The word “snares” reminds me that very few of us run around wantonly breaking the Ten Commandments by stealing rampantly or murdering people. And yet we are all sinners. Big temptations to sin are on our radar like bear traps on a hiking path. We can see and usually avoid them. Little temptations to sin are like the snares used for rabbits and skunks. They are covered up by leaves, off to the side, and easily overlooked. Both traps and snares are set for us by the devil, by our own flesh, and by the world. But big or small, no matter what their origin, temptations to sin trip us up on the road to living peaceful, God-fearing lives.

And then there is the second image: “All the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” This reminds me that our enemy has minions who, like him, do not want us to live in peace. In the same way that the devil doesn’t care if I commit a thousand little sins or one big one, as long as I turn my back on God, the devil isn’t above having someone else do his dirty work.

I’m not really the warrior type, but saying the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, especially as a congregation in church, really gives me peace. It strengthens my faith and sharpens my desire to stay close to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, you are my peace. Help me to stay alert to the snares of the devil through frequent prayer and the awareness of your power and ability to protect me.

Read more of Heidi Bratton’s inspiring reflections about prayer, peace, and the Christian life in Finding God’s Peace in Everyday Challenges: 100 Meditations for Women (The Word Among Us Press, 2015). Available at 
wau.org/books

th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Blessed are you who are poor. (Luke 6:20)

Who actually wants to embrace a life of poverty, mourning, and hunger? Who actually believes that poverty is the way to blessing and happiness? Jesus does, because that’s the way he lived, and it’s the way he wants all of us to live as well.

Deep down, we all know that money doesn’t make people happy. There are plenty of miserable millionaires. Rich or poor, it’s good relationships that make people happy. And what could be a more important relationship than our relationship with God? No wonder Jesus was so happy! He had an unbroken relationship with his heavenly Father.

Jesus didn’t restrict his vision to the world around him. He also kept his eyes fixed on his heavenly Father. With his heart lifted up to God’s presence and his mind filled with truth by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to look at life clearly and joyfully. He wasn’t bound by money or by the desire for a problem-free life where he always got his way. He was happy just knowing his Father and following his Father’s will.

Jesus gave us the beatitudes to teach us the secret of happiness. He knows that prosperous sinners are miserable people, however much the world envies them. The world cannot see the emptiness of a heart that is devoid of God’s love. It’s important to know that Jesus isn’t against money itself. He only wants us to set goals that go far beyond the accumulation of wealth.

Jesus once told his disciples that he had “food” that they knew nothing about and that this “food” was to do his Father’s will (John 4:32, 34). As we learn how to keep our minds fixed on the promises of God, we too will discover the secret to Jesus’ peace and happiness. By following in Jesus’ footsteps, we can know the same happiness he knew—the same happiness that fills all the saints and angels in heaven.

“Jesus, fill my heart with your vision of life. Teach me to be content with riches or poverty, with good times and bad. Lord, give me only your love!”

Jeremiah 17:5-8
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20