When we open ourselves to God’s grace, we can be healed of that blindness of spirit that sometimes prevents us from following Jesus with freedom and joy

“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all”

The Wisdom of God—Christ—is worth more than any sort of riches or possessions

It is when we allow ourselves to be little, the Lord comes close: “He gives us peace; he makes us grow.”

Our faithfulness isn’t expressed in token gestures or in rigid orthodoxy, but in living according to the mission and values of Jesus

To believe that Jesus is calling us to a life of discipleship means that we must be willing to place ourselves at the service of others

Faithful discipleship demands that we sacrifice for the good of others, promote peace and justice, letting go of our vision of how the world should be and seeking God’s will in whatever comes our way

Rules and traditions—however important and venerable they may be—can never be an end in themselves.

Jesus fulfills Jeremiah’s prophecy as he begins to teach the people, gathering together sinners, seekers, and saints to be his own flock

“The Lord asks us to adopt an attitude of humble listening and docile expectation because God’s grace often manifests itself in surprising ways that do not match our expectations.”

“God did not make death, / nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.”

Through our words and, especially, through the witness of our lives, we should spread the seed of the Word near and far

As we continue to journey through Mark’s Gospel in the coming weeks of Ordinary Time, the questions of who Jesus was and who he is for us will remain important themes

In the Eucharist, we have both sacrifice and gift as his handing over of his body and blood—all that he is—at the Last Supper.

In the Mystery of the Transfiguration of Jesus, we are given a glimpse of Resurrection-promise, even as we are reminded of the sacrifice of a Beloved Son.

The Season of Lent ultimately reminds us that holiness is possible for us only when we enter into the struggle.

The leper is brought back to life by being able to return to the life of the community and to the practice of his ancestral faith.

Grace and life are offered to us, we are called to express our gratitude in and through our love and service of those around us.

we are invited to share in Jesus’ prophetic mission, naming blessings where they can be found and calling for justice where it is absent.

If we take to heart the Christmas and Epiphany revelations that Chris is truly present among us, then we also have to recognize that “ordinariness” is no longer a possibility for us.