18-Sep-15

Gospel LK 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
Reflection:
"Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God."
In the beginning of his ministry, Jesus began by preaching his message of love and forgiveness in the synagogues. The Pharisee, scribes, and religious rulers of the day soon made him unwelcome, constantly trying to trap him into saying something so they could accuse him of breaking the law of Moses.
So, he took to the road, preaching the gospel message of our Father's love and non-judgement directly to the people of the hills, valleys and lake shores of Galilee.
"Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities..."
Today's leaders search for the most highly qualified people to join their support team.
Jesus, however, accepted anyone who embraced his message. He took the broken and healed them of their infirmities, and was rewarded with their love and allegiance.
"Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources."
His band of supporters were a diverse group, including Simon the Zealot advocating a overthrow of the Roman oppressors of Israel, and Levi, the Jewish tax collector who worked for the Romans, collecting exorbitant taxes from the people.
The women were also a mixture of repentant sinners like Mary Magdalene and Joanna, the wife of a royal official.
My father was an uneducated but very wise man. He would often say to me, "Wherever you go, whatever you achieve, remember, you did not get there by yourself."
Much like the work of Jesus, My Brother's Keeper began with the most meager of resources and a few friends from diverse backgrounds including a police officer, a woman who provided personal care to people with special needs, a deacon and his wife, two priests, a roofer, a Greek business man, a homeless shelter worker, and an older African American man who had grown up poor in Texas.
Our financial support came from a number of Cursillo friends that redeemed their bottles and cans to provide money for gasoline for our dilapidated old delivery truck.
Just as God the Father multiplied the efforts and sacrifice of Jesus and his early followers, Christ has multiplied the efforts and sacrifices of the dedicated people who supported My Brother's Keeper when it was only a whisper of what it is today.
May every person take heart from the knowledge that when you offer what little talent, treasure, and effort you possess to Christ, he will multiply your gift a thousand times over and use it to make known the love of God.

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled;" Matthew 14:19-20