The Extra Meisl

Washing the feet of an enemy - Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday our reality about who God is and how we are to act got upended. Jesus, the great "I Am", the almighty, came and washed feet in an act of humble service. Christ went further and even washed the feet of Judas, the one who would betray Him. As followers of Christ, we are called to serve all, even those who we find difficult. The Eucharist, the gift of Christ Himself, gives us the strength to follow this radical call.

Holy Thursday, year B

Why wave palms on Palm Sunday?

As we hold palms this Palm Sunday, we are connected to those who waved palms when Christ entered Jerusalem. Why did these people wave palms in the first place? Who did they think Jesus was? As we wave our palms this Sunday, let it be an opportunity to reflect of the kind of Saviour we think Jesus and the consequences this has for our life of discipleship.

 

Palm Sunday, Year B

A software update for the heart

Every so often, our phones need a software update to repair some critical issue in the program. Perhaps this can be an image of what Jesus does for us. After we were created in God's image, something within us became broke. A virus entered our system. Jeremiah 31 looked forward to a time when God would heal our heart in a definitive way. God promised to make a new covenant, writing the law on our hearts. Christ brings about this new covenant. By His death and resurrection, He saves us and makes us new, ensuring we will never again need any kind of update to our hearts. Lent is a time for us to participate more and more in this transformation Christ is working, providing the ultimate "software update" for the human heart.

 

5 Sunday Lent, year B

Multiplying love

Nicodemus undergoes an incredible transformation in John's Gospel. Nicodemus moves from someone who is afraid to be seen with Jesus, to having the courage to be one of the few to bury Jesus. The message of today's Gospel, Jn 3:14-21, is what transforms Nicodemus. He learns of the generous love of God and how when we give love, God multiples it.

How you can overcome procrastination

We often procrastinate when we come up against a task that we know will be difficult: filing our taxes, forgiving someone, having a difficult conversation, or getting healthier. The story of Jesus cleansing the Temple (Jn 2) gives us some helpful pointers for how we can overcome procrastination and live a fuller life.

The power of generosity

The story of Abraham in the first reading (Gen 22) as well as the Gospel (Mk 9:2-10), show us how God can take our generosity and sacrifices and transform them into something remarkable.

We are being made new

Since sin entered the world, God has been planning to make all things new. The flood was a part of this plan (Gen 9:8-15). With Christ, humanity is created afresh, given new hearts to love and serve God (Mk 1:12-15). Lent is a time to remember that we are being made new. This project begun at baptism and continues with God's grace and our cooperation.

Lion King and Ash Wednesday

In the Lion King, Simba needed to relearn his deepest identity in order to follow his mission. Lent, likewise, is a time for us to reconsider our core identity as God's children, sinners and yet redeemed.

Jesus heals (6 Sunday of Ordinary Time, year B)

The Gospel today shows Jesus healing a leper in a holistic way: physically, socially, and spiritually (Mk 1:40-45). Many Christians, such as St. Damian, St. Francis of Assisi, and Mother Theresa, have been inspired to imitate this story literally. In different ways, all of Christ's followers are called to continue Jesus' mission of healing, caring and praying for the sick, and seeking to integrate those on the margins into our community.

Why do good people suffer? (5 Sunday of Ordinary Time, year B)

The book of Job grapples with some of life's most difficult questions. Why do we suffer when we have done nothing wrong? Why does God feel absent at times? In the Gospel today (Mk 1:29-39) Jesus confronts these challenges. He shows us that, in the end, all suffering will be destroyed. In the meantime, Jesus is very close to those who suffer. This care is expressed in a special way in the Sacraments of healing, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.