Holyrood Church 715 West 179 Street, Upper West side Manhattan, USA, 212-923-3770

Jesus chose and called his disciples after some time of prayer.

Reading: One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12.
 
Good morning, happy Tuesday, and many blessings my dear family.
 
Today’s Gospel (Luke 6:12-19) begins with Jesus going up the mountain to pray. Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. It is immediately after this time of deep solitude and prayer that he called the twelve apostles. It is at this point Jesus began to preach, to teach, and to heal.
 
The word about Jesus must have already spread. The people of the area must have known that there was something very unusual about this man.  As Jesus came down the mountain, immediately he was surrounded by a great number of people from Judea, Tyre, Sidon, and Jerusalem.
 
What was it that drew these people to Jesus? How had the word spread so quickly? In Jesus’ time there was no internet by which the word could be spread worldwide almost instantaneously. Yet, somehow the word about Jesus had spread far and wide! What were the stories these people heard about this itinerant preacher, Jesus? Or had they heard him preach and wanted to hear more from him?
 
The people wanted more than to just hear Jesus preach. In the Gospel Luke says: “Everyone was trying to touch him.” The people had heard that great power flowed out from Jesus. They had heard that he had the power to heal. They too had come wanting to be touched and healed by Jesus. What a gift that would be!
 
I assume that each of us also needs healing. The wound or injury may be an experience from the past or it may be a situation that is happening in our lives today. Today is an opportunity for each of us to come to Jesus and ask for the healing that we need and yearn for. Let us reach out and touch Jesus in some way today. It may be by prayer, reading this Scripture passage or just sitting quietly in the presence of Jesus. May we trust that Jesus will reach out and touch us in some loving and healing way today!
 
Luke’s gospel highlights the centrality of prayer in the life and mission of Jesus. His decisions and choices emerge from lengthy periods of communion with the one he calls ‘Abba’. He chooses twelve very ordinary people and entrusts to them the task of making his values known to the world. Today I pray saying: God, I come to you in this time of prayer to take your touch. Let me hear again your call to me. Let me sense your power at work in and through me.
 
Jesus chose and called his disciples after some time of prayer. Consider what was in Jesus’ heart - the hope, trust, and love that he had for his disciples as he chose them to be close to him. Allow Jesus to look on you with the same hope, trust, and love. Hear yourself called; ask for grace to be able to respond fully from your heart.
 
Blessings,

Fr. Luis+

Date news: 
Martes, Septiembre 7, 2021 - 08:45

Ministerio en el tiempo del Coronavirus (Covid 19): Prevenir, curar y acompañar

Ahora tenemos que darle forma a lo que algun@s han comenzado a llamar; La Iglesia en Casa. Aunque yo me sigo preguntando; ¿qué hacen quienes no tienen un hogar? Por esto a la misma vez, estoy declarando desde hoy en nuestra Iglesia Santa Cruz una jornada de cuaresma de oración, ayuno y leer la Biblia en el Tiempo del Coronavirus.

facebook youtube instagram mail zelle