We have been focusing on the call and response to serving the Lord.  Over the past few weeks we have witnessed the disciples answer that call with a resounding “Yes, Lord!”  Today’s Gospel from Mark continues that theme as Jesus travels town to town proclaiming the Good News.  We have the additional experience of witnessing the miracles of Jesus, like healing the sick, driving away evil spirits.  The act of healing the sick and driving away evil spirits is Jesus’ way of doing the will of God and sharing with us the immense love of God.  Through these miraculous deeds Jesus is able to change people’s hearts so that they are more receptive to the Word of God and more receptive to God's love.


This is the way that Jesus shows his love for us, in a way that we can appreciate because we are not able to understand the very large concept of God’s love for us and so we cannot believe He can love us so unconditionally.  Love is a power and a presence that is way beyond our understanding and when something is far beyond our understanding we have doubts about its actual existence.  If you have ever talked to anyone who professes to not believe in God you understand exactly what I mean.  We all long for the love that God has for us but because we don’t understand it, and we don’t take the time to quiet ourselves to feel God’s love, we become sad and feel that it isn’t with us at all.  When we feel that we do not have God’s love we fear we will never have it or that it doesn’t exist and then we tend to stray down paths that lead away from God and the very love we seek.


St. Paul, originally named “Saul”, was a very proud leader of the Jewish people.  He was well educated and studied Jewish law very carefully.  Be believed that the Christians were sinning against God and so, in order to save his people from sin, he supported the eradication of Christianity and took part himself in terrible crimes against Christians.  By our standards of Christian faith Paul was a horrible sinner.  He perpetrated evil against another human being.  Paul was graced with the presence of our Lord Jesus and it transformed him entirely.  He became a believer and was baptized and spent his life preaching the Gospel of Jesus especially how Jesus saves people even when they have sinned!  Jesus, remember, did not come for the healthy (people who don’t sin) but for the sick (people who sin).  This is how Paul received the love God offered and in turn shared that love with everyone else!


When you hold Paul up in example you know that the love of our Lord is so great and intended for all of us, to heal us of our sickness, or our sins.  Paul was the living example of that saving grace because he was a perfect example of a sinner.  Paul said, “I am always ready to accept the people I preach to so that at least some of them might accept the Gospel.  Everything I do, I do because of the Gospel.”  Paul was not a hypocrite!  He knew and he understood that salvation through Jesus is for ALL and that he, a grave sinner, had been healed by the salvation found in Jesus.  Paul did not judge the sinner but embraced them because they were no different from himself with regard to sin.  Paul was a great servant of the Lord because he had experienced the great love that was offered unconditionally - and he accepted it.


Every day God sends us messages of love.  It might be during prayer, or during the mass.  It might be in the form of help from someone when we need it, or a kind word that changes our day.  We need to keep our eyes and our ears open so that we don’t miss the messages!  GOD does not want us to feel unloved and unwanted; God wants us to KNOW that he loves us IMMENSELY and UNCONDITIONALLY!!


The Psalm this week is Psalm 147 – Praise the Lord Who Heals the Brokenhearted: music sample link and lyrics lead sheet 
Have a blessed week!  I hope you receive lots of love letters!!


In Christ,
Elaine