5th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Christ Begins in Capernaum

 



Commentary on the Mass Readings, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B:


The First Reading is from the Book of Job 7:1-4, 6-7.
The author cries out in his misery, speaks of life and death, cites his restlessness and life's struggle and notes that he will not see happiness again.

The Second Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23.
In this section of his letter St. Paul is encouraging his gentile converts at Corinth to be always ready to forgo their own rights when the edification, or spiritual welfare and blessing of a neighbor, is at stake.

The Gospel is from St. Mark 1:29-39.
You would think that the people of Capernaum saw enough of Christ's public ministry that 1st day to make them see that this man from Nazareth was no ordinary preacher, no ordinary rabbi, no ordinary man.
He preached as one having AUTHORITY; they saw that by a simple command he cast out demons, and healed bodily ailments. Even so, their worldly outlook did not let them rise above their own small interests.
Our Lord did not blame them or criticize them - he fully understood their slowness of mind in regard to things spiritual. He also knew that they would eventually give themselves wholeheartedly to his kingdom.
So he waited for the desired effects which his miracles and preaching would eventually have on them, and hastened that day by praying to his heavenly Father to send to their hearts the graces necessary for their conversion.

When the four Apostles found him thus praying in a lonely place, they told him that all Capernaum was searching for him. But he knew why they were searching for him.
They wanted to see him perform more tricks - to do more miracles. And if He stayed in town, the sick and the maimed from all Galilee could be brought for healing, and this would increase their reputation, and in turn, their earthly business and prosperity.

So he answered the Apostles, not by condemning this worldly outlook, that his mission had an entirely different objective. He came on earth not to bring earthly prosperity to any town or country - but to bring spiritual salvation and blessing on all people.
That very morning he began this mission and for the next two years or so, he went from town to town preaching the kingdom of God.

We Christians of today are luckier than the people of Capernaum.
They saw Christ with their bodily eyes, as a powerful healer among them

- We see him with the eyes of faith as he really was and is... the Son of God who came on earth as man in order to make us sons of God.
- We know who he really was and we know the full meaning of his mission.
- We have seen that mission completed amongst us by his death on the cross and his resurrection.
- We learned that By his death, he conquered death for us
- We know that by his resurrection he opened the gates of heaven for us, and led the way there for all who will follow him.

This is the good news Christ brought to our world. This is the meaning of Christianity; this is why we are Christians. We are willing members of Christ's kingdom on earth, so that when our life here ends, we shall be members of his everlasting heavenly kingdom.
Yet, we still face a puzzling reality:

We have all of this knowledge.
We have the example of the thousands and millions of saints who have lived according to this same knowledge over the past two thousand years.
We are assured that these same saints are now enjoying the reward Christianity promised them.

And still, we have to ask ourselves...
“How active, and how effective, is our Christian faith in our daily thoughts and deeds?
In my daily dealings with my fellowmen, would I be picked out as a Christian?
Do I, by my words and deeds, prove to those with whom I live and work, that I am convinced there is a future life after death?
Is it obvious that reaching that life is the most important thing in this world for me?
Can they see that, through living my short earthly life as a true Christian, I can earn that eternal life?
More importantly, have I made it obvious to them that they can too?

If I can say yes to these questions I am, thank God, on the right road.
But if my answer is, "well, yes, but maybe I could do better...,” then it is time to have another good look at where I went off the road, and to return to that right road once more.
God is merciful; Christ is patient with followers who straggle and wander.
But it could be fatal to postpone for too long our call to the God of mercy.
As Robert Bellarmine wrote in his book, “The Art of Dying Well,” it will be too late if we delay turning to our patient Christ until we are about to die. There is no guarantee of tomorrow, after all.
So stop straggling and wandering off the highway, today, and the patient Christ will welcome you and help you back.

—Excerpted from, ”The Sunday Readings,” by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

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