First Reading: Jer. 31:7 - 9 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 126
Second Reading: Heb. 5:1 - 6 | Gospel: Mk. 10:46 – 52

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Ps. 36:9)

Bartimaeus was set free by Jesus from darkness, and the remnant of Israel (Jer. 31:7 – 8) from captivity, so they shout with joy. Psalm 126 is the prayer of the community in response.

His blindness is a symbol of our spiritual blindness, that we hide it under a mask of pride. Even if we have the flame of his love in our heart, laden with pride, the smoke from the flame prevents us to see his Face. So how would the smoke be cleared and the veil thorn that we can open our eyes and see his Face? The self-satisfied will interiorly avoid hearing that Jesus is approaching. Bartimaeus teaches us how to free ourselves. From the depth of his misery he recognizes Jesus is: the “Son of David,” a Messianic title. He is not begging for alms, but Redemption. Fr. Simeon (Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis) in his book, “The Way of the Disciple” explains: “Bartimaeus shouting expressed a long-standing thirst for salvation. Here, then, the blind beggar is teaching us three essential stages of discipleship: first, the recognition of one’s true condition; second, the exposition of it to the one who can heal; finally the persistence required in the face of opposition.” (p. 77) We need his courage, boldness and absolute trust in the healing power of Jesus to go to him shouting for his mercy. Like the beggar, we do not need our old cloak, to find resurrection, and to follow Jesus “on the way,” The Way may lead us to Calgary, but then Resurrection awaits us.

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Is. 53:10 - 11 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 33:4 - 5, 18 - 20, 22
Second Reading: Heb. 4:14 - 16 | Gospel: Mk. 10:35 - 45

“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; let us feast on love!” (Prov. 7:18, NAB)

Perhaps this is what James and John and their mother had in mind. What a price for this love! A chalice to drink, containing our sorrows and joys, that means accepting God’s will for us. In our burning desire, we often overestimate our potential to live and reach the goal. “Become what you eat (drink).” Drink of his chalice of Love, offered at the Last Supper and at every Eucharist, become Love to all, the leper, the blind, the poor and the rich. There is the cost: become like Jesus to all.

This passage shows that all of the Twelve still had their self-serving instincts, and had failed to understand the mission of Jesus to serve and save. Jesus is reversing this instinct of becoming the “first,” to be the “last.” This is not a spiritual fantasy, but the epiphany of the God in my brother and sister, here and now, next to me and thirsting for my love. This is how the chosen suffering Servant in Isaiah, is identified as Christ. Jesus exemplified this further at the Last Supper; he bent down and washed the feet of his disciples. I followed his example once, by trying to help a student I had assigned to detention. She was supposed to wash the tables in one classroom, and I stayed to wash some of them myself. Symeon the New Theologian, in Hymn 15 says:

“But God was not ashamed to become like you, and you, you are ashamed to be like him?”

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Wis. 7:7 - 11 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 90:12 - 17 
Second Reading: Heb. 4:12 - 13   | Gospel: Mk. 10:17 - 30 

Today we read the prayer of Solomon (1Kgs. 3:6 - 15) in the Book of Wisdom, and Ps. 90, the only psalm ascribed to Moses, as he and the community pray to the Lord. They reflect the longing of human hearts, thirsty for the Divine, as in Ps. 42:1  

“As a deer longs for running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.” 

This is the same inner thirst that led the young man to run up to Jesus. It was not the “religious observances” that he lacked, but a void in his heart longing for God and eternal life. 

A white light going through a prism refracts into its components of the whole spectrum of lights. Each one of us has our own color, searching our path to move toward the white light – the Divine Light. We move away by distractions of our mundane needs, and even our religious observances, sad like the man in today’s Gospel, and loose our focus to reach the Light. With all sorts of activities, we hide from ourselves and from God, our interior poverty. Our soul is captive within us and needs to be freed to reach the Light. That requires detachment from our treasures, and even resentments and other spiritual and physical attachments. St. John of the Cross says: “It makes little difference whether a bird is tied by a thin thread or by a cord.” (The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Book 1, 11:4)  

Then Jesus turns to his disciples, that they understand what a humongous task it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, without spiritual poverty, “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matt. 5:3”. Some Bible commentators suggest that the young man in Mk. 14:51-52, who ran naked, when they arrested Jesus, is the same man as we read about today. 

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Gen. 2:18 - 24 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 128
Second Reading: Heb. 2:9 -11 | Gospel: Mk. 10:2 - 16

From the story of creation in Genesis, throughout the OT narratives, and the Gospel of today, we can sense God’s intention in creating man and woman, that all may be united and reconciled to him. The union of marriage is the earthly equivalent of God’s covenant between him and Israel, Christ and the Church as his bride, and God as the lover of individual souls.

Listen to the words of God in Hosea 2:19 – 20, Ezek. 16:8, and other passages. In Hosea Ch.2, Israel’s deepest identity is clearly brought forth as God’s bride. The name “Hosea” in Hebrew is the same as Hoshea (Nm. 13:8), is a shortened form of Jehoshua, or Joshua and in the NT as Jesus, which means ‘Yahweh saves’. So what is at stake is not the legalistic question of divorce, but God’s intention in creating the world. Under the cover of a legal question, the Pharisees are testing Jesus. The Mosaic Law on divorce (Deut. 24: 1- 4) is more complex than just the husband writing a bill of divorce. The compassionate Jesus understands that there may be difficult times in a marriage, if one or the other are not self-forgetting. Fr. Simeon in “Fire of Mercy, Vol. III”, (p.75) portrays it beautifully: “ … for my own universe to be in turn incorporated within the other’s, I must die repeated deaths and rise again in repeated resurrections, hence the “paschal” quality of the spousal experience.”

In Jesus’s view, unlike the Pharisees, marriage is not a social arrangement that can be undone by man. In Greek, the phrase “what God joined together,” literally reads as “ yoked together.” This “yoke” is the union of love. In Greek liturgy for a wedding, the priest places crowns of flowers over the heads of the bride and groom that are yoked together by a ribbon, as a symbol of the indissoluble bond of love.

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Num.11:25 - 29 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 19:7, 9, 11 - 13
Second Reading: Jas. 5:1 - 6 | Gospel: Mk. 9:38 - 43,45, 47 - 48

In the first paragraph of the Gospel of Mark, today, Jesus’ teaching parallels that of Moses in the book of Numbers: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!” The Lord bestowed some of the spirit that was on Moses, on the elders, and they prophesied. Have no jealousy, and be humble to accept “a cup of water.” This also refers to middle eastern hospitality. Then the tone of Jesus changes to anger.

“Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Matt. 2.18, Jer. 31:15)

Rachel, a Matriarch of Israel, weeps for the little ones that are being killed, physically or spiritually. This is an age-old problem, which brings Jesus’s wrath upon his followers, as we have observed lately, in the clergy abuse and now in Dr. Larry Nasser’s case, abusing gymnasts. During the Church’s scandal, which started in Boston, a group of artists at St. Paul parish in Cambridge, created a show, in which a young girl danced the role of Rachel. The Greek word skandalon precisely means “to trip up,” to put a trap in the path, to make someone sin. The image of the millstone is symbolic of Babylon, that is earthly opposition to the Kingdom of God (Rev. 18:21). The Spiritual children put all their trust in Jesus, in contrast to those who cause them to fall from grace, like Satan: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18).

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Wis. 2:12, 17 - 20 | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 54:1 - 4, 6
Second Reading: Jas. 3:16 - 4:3 | Gospel: Mk. 9:30 - 37

The first reading of today from the Book of Wisdom is based on the 4th Servant Song of Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12, which Church Fathers identify him with Christ. (See also Jer. Chs.18 – 20) In the Gospel of Mark 9:30 - 32, we read the second prediction of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection. St. James also gives us advice based on the “wisdom from above,” pure and peaceable, and Ps. 54 beautifully connects these readings.

The gem of today is the Way of Spiritual Childhood, the “Little Way” of St. Therese of Lisieux, the only way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the antithesis of the way of the world today.

“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be made low (Is. 40:4, Lk.3:5)”

If an athlete does not bring gold home, he/she does not count for anything. Those Olympic gold medals are heavy around their neck, while Jesus’ yolk is easy and light. Self-grandiose is instilled in us, which is to be overcome by humility. This is a life-long work for us. Becoming like the child who does not count for any prestige, but puts his trust in Jesus and walks to him at his call. This is not a state of passiveness, but trust and metanoia. The soul of a “child,” like a mirror, can be reflective of Jesus, pure, transparent, and thus shows the Holy Face to an observer with open eyes. St. John of the Cross in “Sayings of Light and Love,” (103) says: “To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but on the greatness of its humility.” It is only then that we can exclaim “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15) This is our password to enter the Kingdom.

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Is. 50:5 - 9a | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 116:1 - 6, 8 - 9
Second Reading: Jas. 2:14 - 18 | Gospel: Mk. 8:27 - 35

Three weeks ago we focused on the profession of faith by Peter in the Gospel of John (Jn. 6:68 - 69). Here again in the first passage in the Gospel of Mark, Ch. 8, Jesus brings up the question: “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter, the leader of the flock, makes his profession: “You are the Christ.”

In the next two paragraphs, we read the stark statements of his teachings, that he must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise after three days. The impetuous Peter began to rebuke him. He does not want to lose his friend, but is it not like all of us? In the most inner recesses of our hearts, we think we know better than God, what is good for us. So now, Jesus rebukes Peter and tells him “Get behind me Satan.” This is reminiscent of the temptation of Jesus in the desert. In both cases a creature is trying to obstruct the way to salvation, and Jesus orders Satan to get lost! This is the same Peter, who was called the Rock, upon which the Church was to be built. Peter by true faith, after shedding his tears of repentance, became the building rock. Peter here, by personal impulse, is transformed into a stumbling rock. So Jesus addresses the crowd, and declares that the only way to salvation is by taking up one’s cross and follow him to Golgotha. The prediction of his Passion is shortly before Transfiguration (Ch. 9). Like his disciples, after his resurrection, we will be on our way to meet him in Galilee.

The passage from Isaiah is the third of the Servant Songs, which portrays an innocent, suffering prophet. It is read during the Holy Week, as well as psalm 116, which is one of the Hallel (praise) psalms, song after the Passover meal. So they lead us to the Passion of our Lord.

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Is. 35:4 - 7a | Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 146
Second Reading: Jas. 2:1 - 5 | Gospel: Mk. 7: 31 - 37

“You called, you shouted, and you shattered my deafness,” St. Augustine of Hippo wrote in his famous O Beauty Ever Ancient, when he was baptized. Then he goes on: “You were within me, but I was outside.”

That is what happened to the deaf man of today’s Gospel. He shouted, and his ears where opened. Are we hearing His call or remaining deaf to it? He needs us away from the crowd, to open our ears, the ears of our hearts. “Stay awake,” to His call. The other key to this Gospel passage is the trust of the people who brought the deaf man to be healed by Jesus. They trusted in his mercy and power to heal. In the previous section in the Gospel of Mark, the Canaanite woman begs for his mercy and she wins! (Mk. 7:27 - 30)

Isaiah lived towards the end of Babylonian Exile, and he is promising to his people, the wonders that God will do for them: “ Here is your God, he comes with vindication; …. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared, … then the tongue of the mute will sing.”

Favoritism was often condemned in OT (Lev. 19:15; Ps. 82.2; Job. 34:17 – 19), as well as in NT. So here St. James gives the same advice to us, and finishes with the God’s choice for the poor. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3)

By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)

First Reading: Dt. 4:1 - 2, 6 - 8 |Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 15:2 - 5
Second Reading: Jas. 1:17 - 18, 21b - 22, 27 | Gospel: Mk. 7:1 - 8, 14 - 15, 21 - 23

A few years during my career, I was teaching part-time at an orthodox Jewish school. This sentence resonated with me, when the principal at the graduation ceremony said that “as we graduate them now, we have cleansed them from inside and outside.” In today’s reading from Deuteronomy, Moses tells Israelites to observe the “commandments of the Lord,” carefully (Prov. 30:5 - 6). These commandments are not just for externals, as Pharisees are pointing out. “The tradition of the elders,” is the Halachah (the Way), the intricate observances added to the prescriptions of Torah, and transmitted to generations after generations. So Jesus is saying that Pharisees are manipulating God’s commandments for their personal advantage.

As we make our confessions, we should try to clean our hearts from the way of Pharisees, and make it the dwelling of the Most High. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Sermon 5 on the Vigil of Christmas) says: “What is demanded of us is perfect sanctification; an interior washing is imposed; spiritual cleanliness is exacted, since the Lord said: ‘Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God (Matt. 5:8)’” So we should not honor him with our lips only, but from a pure heart. “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, …. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

St James letter, Ch. 3:1 - 12, is focused on “Taming the tongue.” “How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. …. It stains the whole body … (3:5b – 6)” As St. James says today, welcome the “word” in your hearts; “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”


By: Farzi Najmabadi (SCB Parishioner)