When a loved one of mine passed away, I thought it was unfair. She was too young. But slowly, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, telling me that my view of what is just is different from God’s. It may seem unfair to my human eyes, but in His grand scheme of things, it may be different.

Loss is a normal part of life. But when death comes, it hits us hard. We can’t function normally. We’re distracted. We grieve. The beautiful thing about our faith is Who we believe in because Jesus has made sure that death is not the end. Our physical bodies will deteriorate, but our soul remains.

So, trust that if a person you love has passed away, you will see each other again. After we grieve, we rejoice. Just imagine how great it is to be in heaven, to literally be beside God! His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Nico Narvaez (joelnicolocnarvaez@gmail.com)

Reflect:

Have you lost a loved one and questioned God why it had to happen? How does knowing that everything is in God’s hands change how you feel about it?

Lord, may Your Spirit spark a change in my heart, comfort me in this time of grief, and remind me to surrender all my thoughts and emotions to You. You are my God, Who holds all the universe together. I trust in You. Amen.

Saint Fabian, martyr, pray for us.

There will always be many casualties in war. We will also experience this in the spiritual battle. The enemy will isolate us, divide us, and sow seeds of envy. He will disrupt our relationships in any way he can. Let us stand as one in the victory of Jesus. If we stand side by side, the enemy will find it difficult to disturb us.

¹ David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.³ David asked him, “Where do you come from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel.” ⁴ “Tell me what happened,” David bade him. He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle and that many of them had fallen and were dead, among them Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹¹ David seized his garments and rent them, and all the men who were with him did likewise. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the Lord of the clans of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹⁹ “Alas! The glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen! ²³ Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! ²⁴ Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold. ²⁵ How can the warriors have fallen—in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights! ²⁶ I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother! most dear have you been to me; more precious have I held love for you than love for women. ²⁷ How can the warriors have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!”

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 80:2-3, 5-7

R: Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

² O shepherd of Israel, hearken, O guide of the flock of Joseph! From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth ³ before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rouse your power, and come to save us. (R) ⁵ O Lord of hosts, how long will you burn with anger while your people pray? ⁶ You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in ample measure. ⁷ You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. (R)

Gospel | Mark 3:20-21

Jesus’ relatives are probably embarrassed by the attention He is receiving. They would definitely find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand what is going on in His ministry. They probably wish all the attention would go away. We need to be prepared when we serve the Lord. Many times we will be unprepared for people’s responses and we will need to make decisions as we go. We need to trust the promise of Jesus that He will guide our decision-making. He will lead us to the right path through our struggles.

Gospel Acclamation

Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.

²⁰ Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. ²¹ When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read MATTHEW 17 - 20 today.

Previously, I quoted Jose Feliciano’s love song: “Love Comes from the Most Unexpected Places.” True. But so do rejection and hatred—and everything else in between. Today, we are told that people who were presumably Jesus’ relatives were not exactly happy campers. Neither were they excited about Him and His miracles. What did He say again about prophets not being accepted in their own country? Normally, one would expect relatives to be one’s first admirers and followers, but in Jesus’ case, they even accused Him: “He is out of His mind.”

I am reminded of the great saints who, at some point in their lives, were not saintly at all. Take Saint Augustine. Remember how much tears his mother, Saint Monica, shed for him? And for how long?

St. John Bosco was among those accused of the same. It came to a point that someone powerful even connived with others to have him committed to the asylum without his prior consent. St. John of God suffered from some form of mental illness. But both saints were determined and passionate about the cause of the poor and the cause of God.

In our times, at least five well-known figures are controversial candidates for sainthood. The American Dorothy Day and the British GK Chesterton, along with the likes of Bishop Fulton Sheen, have both dedicated followers and supporters and deeply motivated detractors. Both those who support them and those who denigrate their saintly statuses come from the “most unexpected places.” But there is one sure thing that both camps agree on: all of them showed utter determination and dedication to do the right thing—that is, doing something marvelous for God and others.

The Lord Jesus Christ, in His passionate and focused ministering to the multitudes, had both avid followers and active detractors. The latter came from the most unexpected quarters—His relatives. The Lord was determined, not demented, no matter the opinionated proclamation of His relatives: “He is out of His mind!”

Choose who you want to be: a relative or a doer of God’s will? Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

Reflection Question:

How ready are you to believe when you hear of a miracle story?

Lord Jesus, open my heart to receive You and to do Your will. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________