Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (d. 1336)
Saint Anthony Zaccaria (d. 1539)
Readings of the day: RB 28 Those Who Refuse to Amend After Frequent Rebukes
Mass: Am 7:10-17; Resp Ps 19; Mt 9:1-8
Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s words, ‘Christ himself was “in motion”,’ reminded me of something a professor once said about Jesus, that is, ‘Jesus is a walking parable.’ Jesus was a man on the move. We find him in a number of places. This week alone, Jesus is in a boat (Mk 5:21); behind locked doors (Jn 20:26); going up the mountain (Mt 5:1); in the territory of the Gadarenes (Mt 8:28); and today, Jesus travels by boat to his own town (Mt 9:1). We too, are to be ‘in motion’. Pope Francis has already warned us about being ‘parked Christians’ that is, those ‘who don’t continue on the journey; Christians who have run aground on the concerns of daily life—good things in themselves!—but they don’t grow, they remain small’ (Homily, March 12, 2018). We may find ourselves limited physically or geographically, yet we are continuously called to spiritual and emotional growth as we progress in our way of life. Afraid? Jesus is with you: Courage, child, your sins are forgiven, rise and walk.
Do we know how to silence our hearts and listen to the voice of God?
(Pope Francis, Twitter, July 5, 2018)
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