{"id":13480,"date":"2014-01-30T00:48:34","date_gmt":"2014-01-30T06:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=13480"},"modified":"2025-09-04T11:16:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T15:16:34","slug":"find-a-home-for-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/find-a-home-for-the-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"Find a Home for the Lord","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
\nfor January 30th, 2014<\/p>\n

Liturgical texts here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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SOMETIMES <\/strong>I look down the narrow, darkening road of the future, and I find myself crying out, “Jesus! Give me the courage to go down this path.” In times like these, I am tempted to tone down my message, taper my zeal, and measure my words. But then I catch myself and say, “Mark, Mark… What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?<\/em>“<\/p>\n

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Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:25-26)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You see, this is Satan’s trick: fear<\/em>. He puts all kinds of images of torture, phantoms of pain, and villains of persecution into the mind… and if one pays attention to these, well, he is like Peter trying to walk on water: as soon as he takes his eyes off of Jesus, he starts to sink.<\/p>\n

So we have to put our eyes again upon our Lord and remember a few things.<\/p>\n

One is that the world is thirsting<\/em> for the Word of God. Aren’t you thirsting to know that you are loved, forgiven, and saved? Then so are others, especially those who have not heard the clear proclamation of the Gospel.<\/p>\n

True, some mistake their thirst for the excessive need for personal freedom\u2014to break away from any form of religion\u2014and so they react in anger to the Gospel. But this only increases their thirst. Even though the Centurion crucified Jesus, it was precisely Christ’s faithfulness in loving him that led the Centurion, in the end, to satiate his spiritual thirst from the side of Christ.<\/p>\n

So do not let the angry face of persecutors fool you! Whether they know it or not, they are waiting for you to bring them good news by the light of your life.<\/p>\n

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How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. (Rom 10:15)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The second thing to remember is that it is not up to “me”. What power do I have to convert another’s heart? Indeed, the Christian must know that…<\/p>\n

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…the proclamation of Jesus Christ is not easy, but that it does not depend on him. He must do everything possible, but the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the truth, depends on the Holy Spirit.<\/strong> \u2014POPE FRANCIS, Homily, May 8th, 2013, Magnificat<\/em>, January 2014, p. 424<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I have neither silver nor gold, said Peter. That is, I don’t have anything of my own, any power or clever words to change, heal, or convert another other than the power of Jesus:<\/p>\n

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…what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk. (Acts 3:6)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus has empowered the Church through the Holy Spirit. But without faith in Him<\/em>, I can do nothing. [1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. John 15:5<\/span><\/span>