Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time B

The speaker reflects on the importance of living under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit during ordinary time. They discuss the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit and the need to open our lives to it. The passage from Mark's Gospel is about Jesus encountering resistance from religious people and his own family. The speaker emphasizes the invitation to discern and embrace the will of God in Jesus. They highlight the role of the Holy Spirit in opening us to God's forgiveness, healing, and transforming action. The passage also talks about the danger of resisting the Spirit and cutting oneself off from God's life. The speaker encourages the listener to meditate on the passage and surrender to the movement of the Spirit. They emphasize the need to submit to the Holy Spirit's influence and find peace in embracing Jesus' words. They end by encouraging the listener to reflect on the gospel and allow the word to grow in their spirit throughout the week. What a joy to share the gospel. Our journey now through ordinary time is meant to be lived under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These gospel readings after Easter and Pentecost will invite us to open our lives to the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. Recently, as a matter of fact, Pope Francis reminded us, quote, the Holy Spirit, who in the beginning transformed chaos into cosmos, is at work to bring about this same transformation in every person, close quote. We prepare ourselves now to ponder the gospel in prayer by taking a moment to quiet our inner selves. If you will, take a deep breath slowly in and slowly out. Come, Lord Jesus, allow your Holy Spirit to bring your word to life in me. May I hear your voice, Good Shepherd. The ancient prayer of Lectio Divina, first of all, invites us to read a passage from Scripture. We gain familiarity with the passage so as to open our minds and hearts to that which is beyond the word, the movement of the Holy Spirit carried on the words of the gospel. On this 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we read from Mark's Gospel, chapter 3, verses 20 through 35. Jesus came home with his disciples. Again, the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to seize him, for they said, he is out of his mind. The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, he is possessed by Beelzebulb, and by the prince of demons he drives out demons. Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables. How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, the kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand. That is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin, for they said, he has an unclean spirit. His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you. But he said to them in reply, who are my mother and my brothers? And looking around at those seated in the circle, he said, here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. Mark employs in this passage a familiar technique that he uses throughout the gospel. He sandwiches a central scenario, here the conflict with the religious leaders, on both sides with a similar event, in this case the conflict with his family. By doing this, the issue becomes clear, doesn't it? Jesus' message and healing deeds encounter resistance in the minds and hearts of religious people and those closest to him, his own family. What in me resists Jesus' kingdom message? The concluding verse of our passage makes the invitation of Jesus to all who encounter him equally clear. We are being called to discern in Jesus the will of God and to embrace, again in Jesus, the will of God. At the very center of the whole passage, please, friends, don't miss this, is the how, the means by which we discover and embrace the will of God in Jesus. The terrifying declaration about the everlasting sin is not so much threat as it is revelation. The Holy Spirit is, after all, the one who opens us to the forgiving, merciful, healing and transforming will of the Father. To resist the Spirit is to cut oneself off from the very life of God. The Spirit, in light of Jesus' parable in this teaching, is the strong man who can overcome in us all forces that seek to rob us of the presence and saving action of God in our lives. Jesus is imploring us here in this teaching to open our lives to the Holy Spirit who will incline our hearts to him in his love for the Heavenly Father. Let's turn now again for a second time to read this passage. Notice as we do what stands out to you. There really is so much in this passage. Become sensitive to that word, that single phrase or what moves your imagination. In this word that moves within you, Jesus is speaking to you, revealing himself to you. We read Mark chapter 3 verses 20 to 35. Jesus came home with his disciples. Again, the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to seize him, for they said, he is out of his mind. The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, he is possessed by being and by the prince of demons he drives out demons. Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables. How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, the kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand. That is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin, for they said, he has an unclean spirit. His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you. But he said to them in reply, who are my mother and my brothers? And looking around at those seated in the circle, he said, here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. This brings us now to the second step of Lectio Divina, which is after reading meditation. In meditating, we seek to surrender to the movement of the spirit carried on that word. Become curious now about what is touching you in this passage and give yourself over to it. What is speaking to you in this moment? I am personally convicted by this gospel once again to most intentionally submit my mind and heart to the living influence of the Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit. Overcome in me everything that seeks to rob me of the truth and peace of God. Confront all the conflict, distress that afflicts me from the outside and within me. Bring me, O Holy Spirit, the peace that the world cannot give, the peace that only comes through embracing the words of Jesus Christ. Come, Holy Spirit. Friends, let me encourage you again to linger a while longer with this gospel. In the word you hear, yield to the movement of the spirit in you. Before leaving prayer, be sure to intentionally place the word you have received deep in your spirit where the Lord might bring it growth throughout this week ahead. And, friends, it is indeed a joy to share the gospel with you. Amen. Amen.