Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 9, 2024
Jesus came home with his disciples.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,”
and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself,
that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself
and is divided, he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder the house.
Amen, I say to you,
all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be
forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
His mother and his brothers arrived.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Today, I am thinking again of my father-in-law, Bob, who died a few weeks ago (and my mother-in-law, Mary, who preceded him in death). Together, they raised five children and ten grandchildren. Bob and Mary always accepted me. I learned a lot from them about family in all its joys and struggles and the importance of the Holy Spirit in helping us find our way.
The son of Italian immigrants and a child of the Depression era, Bob had a deep faith and a keen business sense. Mary was born to Irish immigrants in Boston, where she trained as a research microbiologist. She shared a deep faith, too. Both were incredibly active in the community and church.
Mary’s Irish family wouldn’t have anything to do with her when she married “that Italian from Detroit.” Her family didn’t attend the wedding, and her parents hadn’t met their grandchildren for over a decade. In time, though, it all worked out, and incredibly close bonds were forged. They would say the Holy Spirit guided them—healing, learning, and love. Bob and Mary wove the fabric of family together creating a beautiful, strong (even if imperfect) cloth that shelters our diverse family.
Jesus was dogged by family and religious leaders who questioned his teaching, his healing, and his love for us all. At the heart of Mark’s writing, Jesus, through his stories, teaches us of his power over Satan and the paramount importance of the Holy Spirit.
What I’m taking away from this Gospel is radical love for others—especially those different from us. We’ve been invited to accept a great gift of love, and we’re expected to share that love fearlessly. The significance of the Holy Spirit can’t be overstated. I depend on this to understand the world. The Holy Spirit helps me heal, leads me to forgiveness, and liberates me from earthly distractions to help me love others (especially those different than me). And so, I pray again, as Fr. Hesburgh encouraged me to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Prayer
Father, we sometimes reject others because they look different, act different, or speak with a strange accent. However, you, Lord, reject no one who comes to you. May we also accept those of goodwill who appear different, or strange, or unfamiliar to us. Amen.