Saturday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time June 1, 2024

Father Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for Saturday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time
June 1, 2024, Mark 11: 27-33
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060124.cfm

The Gentle Heart of Jesus

Do you remember the story about the fellow who wanted to make his cross smaller? He cut part of it off so it would be easier to carry. But when he reached a deep valley, his cross was too short to reach the other side.

When Jesus asks us to live his gospel in surrender, there will always be something that we will not understand or be able to do without His help. It’s like the scribes and Pharisees in today’s gospel who tried tricking Jesus, accusing Him of being divine, God’s Son.

So, they asked Jesus by whose authority he worked miracles and taught. They couldn’t grasp that God could be a man. When Jesus asked them to answer a question about whether John’s baptism was human or divine, they were stumped.

Jesus knew if he challenged them about his divinity, he would win hands down. Instead of showing them up and making them look foolish, his gentle heart sent them away with something to think about—maybe John’s baptism was from heaven, preparing the way of Jesus.

One of the Pharisees, Zacchaeus, took to heart what Jesus said and met him by night (John’s Gospel) because he wondered, “Just who is Jesus?”

Gospel Challenge:
There may be a few questions or concerns about our faith that Jesus has asked us (in his Word or through the Church) that have stumped us or that we have found difficult to live. Let’s follow and learn from Zacchaeus and meet Jesus in prayer and solitude in the quiet of our hearts to help us grow in our faith. That last little bit of our cross gets us across from our way to “The Way” to living life in all its fullness.

Love Your Neighbor!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com