Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters in Christ
1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10
Mark 3:1-6
The Good News is Hard to Take
In the 1800s, as news of the remarkable cures taking place at Lourdes, France, began to leak out, Emile Zola went there to find proof against its reputation. While there, he found two handicapped women and examined them closely to verify his disbelief. Instead, he found that they were indeed healed!
Still, Zola persisted in his disbelief. Later, he would write a novel about Lourdes and in his fictional account, would falsify what he had seen. Surely, this quote describes him: "For those without faith, no proof will satisfy. For those with faith, no proof is necessary."
In today's gospel, Jesus is angry with the Pharisees' lack of faith. Even when they saw "the proof," they wanted to kill Jesus. This should help us to be at peace when others afflict us because of our belief in Christ. At such times we could imagine our Lord saying to us: "As they doubted Me and wanted to kill Me in My day, so will they do to you because of Me in your day."
The Good News never changes. Jesus came to heal, but this Good News remains always difficult to accept for those who do not want to live with the consequences of believing in Him.
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo
Australia
