Tag: Kate Taliaferro

Even in the time of Jesus there was tension between what was “fair” and what was “just”. Usually, today or way back when, a situation is considered “fair” when things are perceived as equal – by you. Everyone has the same number of cookies. Each player gets the same number of turns in the game. In these two examples, the perception of fairness would most likely be shared by all the individuals. They are just as well – each person received what was due to them. 

Justice, what is due to you in order to make right or continue in right relationship, and fairness, being in accordance to the rules and equity, are often used interchangeably. However, as you can see, while they are related terms they do not mean the same things. Our Gospel parable today illustrates how God deals with justice and fairness. 

Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who goes out to hire workers at various times of the day. The landowner tells each worker that he will be paid “what is just.” At the end of the day, the workers who worked the least received a full wage. This continues to those who worked the full day. Here’s where knowing the definitions would have been helpful. From their perspective, it was not “fair” that they received the same amount. The work to pay ratio was not equal for all parties. 

But the landowner aka God, did not promise what was fair. He promised what was just. God desires for us to be in right relationship with Him. Whether this relationship happens in the early days of our childhood, or in the final moments of our life. God’s graces are not better for those who followed His path longer. He does not love them more or less. What’s more, God will not stop seeking after us. Like the landowner, God reaches out for us, continually offering us the means to be in right relationship with Him. 

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Mary stayed. There are some lines in Scripture that speak so much louder than their few words. When we read today’s Gospel slowly, we see it was a busy morning for Mary Magdalene. 

First, she rises, before dawn, and goes to the tomb. Upon seeing the stone rolled away, she returns (can’t you see her flying down the path, disregarding decorum as she sprints to the apostles?) to the disciples to tell them. She then turns around and runs back with some of them who wish to see for themselves. 

After seeing the empty tomb, the disciples must have returned, confused and feeling lost. What could have happened? Why? Mary, exhausted at this point, stays. She weeps for the one she has lost, twice now it would seem. 

In her sorrow, Mary doesn’t turn inward, as many of us are tempted to do when we are hurting. The disciples were hurting and in their sorrow, they walked away. Even if it was only to the outside of the garden, they still left the place of pain. Mary chose a different path. Though she was full of grief and was openly weeping, the Gospel also shows us that she wasn’t completely consumed with sorrow. She still had hope that something was not yet finished. 

How do we know Mary maintained her hope in the midst of this terrible moment? The next verse tells us that she “bent over into the tomb.” She looked again! This small action is what sets in motion John’s Resurrection story. Mary sees the angels, who engage her in conversation and turn her attention to the resurrected Jesus, standing before her. 

Even in the midst of her sorrow, Mary found the hope God placed in her, the hope He places in all of us. From that hope, she drew enough courage to look into the tomb. 

All of us will encounter suffering. Many of us are suffering at this present moment. Life is a challenge and things do not often go as planned. We go through times of pain, of sorrow, of grief, of anger, of disappointment. The disciples of Jesus felt these same things. They wished things were different, that it wasn’t so hard. 

The lesson Mary Magdalene taught them, and what she can teach all of us, is to not lose the hope we have been gifted by God. There is always a way forward, we have to trust that God’s plan is more marvelous than we could plan. We also have to trust that God’s timing may not be our timing. This is why we wait, as Mary did, in patient hope, for God to reveal Himself to us.

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There are so many places to launch a reflection from in today’s Gospel. Jesus’ sending of the disciples is full of vivid imagery and specific instructions on how, where and why the Gospel will be preached. As I prayed with this Gospel, I kept being struck by two little lines that seem to be tossed in the middle:

ˆWithout cost you have received; Without cost you are to give.”

Jesus had just detailed the things the disciples were to do during their time away. They were to preach the Gospel, cure diseases, cleanse the people and drive out demons. During Jesus’ day, these activities were all ones that a payment would have been expected. A preacher would extend a hat or shawl after a lesson, doctors have a fee, even religious leaders expected something in return for services rendered. 

Jesus, however, immediately and without conditions lays bare what sort of payment the disciples ought to expect. Nothing. What they have received from Him, what powers or knowledge they now possess, they received without any monetary cost. They are to give what they have in the same way that they received it. 

We, too, have received from Jesus. Jesus freely gives himself to us each Sunday at Mass in the Eucharist. This gift is given for our salvation and for our unity in the Mystical Body of Christ. The following is a beautiful passage from the document Lumen Gentium, one of the defining documents from the Second Vatican Council. It speaks about this incredible mystery that we participate in without charge:

“As all the members of the human body, though they are many, form one body, so also are the faithful in Christ. Also, in the building up of Christ’s Body various members and functions have their part to play. There is only one Spirit who, according to His own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives His different gifts for the welfare of the Church. What has a special place among these gifts is the grace of the apostles to whose authority the Spirit Himself subjected even those who were endowed with charisms. Giving the body unity through Himself and through His power and inner joining of the members, this same Spirit produces and urges love among the believers. From all this it follows that if one member endures anything, all the members co-endure it, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice.” (LG 7)

We are transformed each Mass more and more into the Body of Christ. This should produce within us a spirit of love and generosity for the other members of the Body. But even more so, it should open our eyes to all humanity, who Jesus is equally calling to the table. Jesus did not send His disciples to specific people, but to all people. He did not require they demand payment, create hoops to be jumped through, or hurdles to be surmounted before receiving what they themselves had freely received. 

The love and forgiveness you have been gifted by God are not yours to keep. They have been given to you so that you can freely give them away. Each Mass, you are given the grace of the Eucharist not to keep for yourself, but to pass on to those you meet in your daily life. 

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As many blog posts and reflections begin, I have a confession to make. I probably have too much yarn. Now I know, the “probably” I put in should probably be removed, but I’m not ready to both admit I have too much yarn and do something about it. I am a fiber artist with no sales, no following, or customers. I just love to crochet, knit, weave, quilt, cross stitch, I even have a spinning wheel I’m rehabbing. I bounce from project to project, excited to try new techniques and styles. I watch YouTube for tutorials and ideas. Yarn, and all the things I can create with it, brings me much joy.

 There is a problem with this hobby of mine that I’ve noticed over the years. What I haven’t shared yet is that I am a wife and mother of 6 children ages 10 and under. My days are full. Full of homeschooling, laundry, cooking, baking, sunscreen, skinned knees, and picnics. My hobby time is in the evenings. Most of the time, this is fine. I am ok with cutting off housework that didn’t get done in order to have time for yarn and crafts as the sun goes down. But there are some days I find myself resentful of my little people, of their messes and constant hunger, of the churn of the laundry and crush of chores unfinished. I wish for days of silence with my yarn. I feel like projects which are supposed to bring me joy are wearing me down with the slowness of their progress. “Why can’t they just leave me alone?” “Why can’t I have some space to knit (or whatever I’m currently fascinated by).”

Each day that I allow myself to travel along this path the worse it gets. I am trying to store treasure in earthly things. In focusing on the crafting I am not doing, I am missing the opportunities God is giving me in the present moment. It’s like trying to capture air escaping from a balloon or gathering water in a sieve. The more apparent treasure I pile in the unhappier I become instead of the opposite. I am believing that my happiness lies in my ability to create things when I am surrounded with the greatest works of creation I could participate in, my children. The things I make can bring me happiness, but that happiness should be in service of my relationships with my kids and how I am living out my vocation.

 Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” When I choose to be fully present to my family, even in its disorder and chaos, it is also full of love, beauty, joy, and God’s will for our family. These are the treasures that will last a lifetime – beyond a lifetime. Doing God’s will, loving those He has brought into our lives, these are just a taste of the treasures of heaven.

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The story of Bartimaeus is echoed in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel. This image of Jesus healing a blind man (or in Matthew’s case two blind men) is of critical importance for the early disciples of Jesus. When John the Baptist sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah, Jesus asks them to consider what they have seen: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Matthew 11:5). Jesus is referencing prophecies from the Book of Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah.

In today’s world, we are blessed with medicine and technology that would have seemed more than miraculous to a First Century person. People born with disabilities can be helped, children born deaf can be given the gift of hearing, a person who is blind can be taught to read and write. These are miraculous things, which we so often take for granted. 

The lesson I found myself gravitating to as I pondered this passage was that Bartimaeus, while being blind, had found a way to keep his eye on the prize. He did not waver in his attempts to reach Jesus. Even when the crowd tried to discourage him, to belittle him, he did not waver. The Gospel writer tells us this discouragement actually provided fuel for his fervor and he cried out all the louder. 

Bartimaeus knew how he could be healed. He knew Jesus was the one to give him that gift. He relentlessly pursued Jesus with all of his strength. He did not let his blindness stop him. He did not allow the crowd to cause him to pause, to doubt himself or what he knew to be true. What things we could accomplish if we could focus on them the way that Bartimaeus focused on Jesus. Now, stop and think of what God could accomplish in us if we did not pursue “things” but rather, pursued Him.

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Take only a walking stick and sandals. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I could do it! Jesus thinks of everything I would try to stuff in my pockets or layer up so I had some mental security about how I would sleep that night. Just reading these directions fills me up with “What ifs.” And, I would imagine, my concerns are precisely what Jesus wants to dispel from His disciples. 

Jesus, the Son of God, gave the disciples authority over demons and the charge to preach the Word of God he taught them. Their whole purpose, their reason for going into these towns, was because the Son of God had commissioned them to go. Their mission was not their own. They weren’t traveling for pleasure or business or because they had some personal stake in the venture. They were sent, with clear and distinct purpose. 

To further emphasize the unique quality of this mission, Jesus insists that they place their bodily security in the hands of God the Father as well. The extreme reliance on God’s Providence further encouraged them to realize that their mission was one of Godly proportions. This was no ordinary jaunt through the countryside.

Jesus continues to send disciples today. Though the methods and directions of the sending may look different from the original ones He gave the disciples, the message and purpose has not changed. We are each uniquely called by Christ in baptism. From this calling, we are each uniquely sent out into the world to bear witness to the Good News. 

It would be wise, especially as Lent approaches, to consider what we are choosing to carry with us as we walk in mission for Jesus. Have we become weighed down by the trappings of the world, our business endeavors, an overemphasis on social media, politics or technology? If Jesus were to speak to you today, what would He insist you bring along on the mission He has for you? What would He insist you leave behind? 

As a way to discern the answers to these questions, consider incorporating a weekly fast into your routine. For just one week (Sunday excluded), select one fast. Then, select a new one for the following week. Some examples would be refrain from social media scrolling, no desserts/sweets, no alcohol, refrain from eating between meals, no unplanned spending, or not using the snooze button on your alarm. What is challenging to leave behind? What is an easy fast? Use that knowledge to help you discern the things you are clinging a little too tightly to, the things that maybe Jesus is calling you to let go of so you can be a more effective evangelist for His Kingdom. 

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