The significance of Going back and reporting to Jesus by the Apostles

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Saturday*

*Gospel :  Mark 6:30-34*

*First Reading : 1 Kings 3:4-13*

*Responsorial Psalm : 119: 9-14*

*The significance of Going back and reporting to Jesus by the Apostles*

*1) The significance of returning to Jesus*

The apostles had been sent out with authority (Mk 6:7–13). They preached, healed, cast out demons. From the outside, it looks like a success story. And yet the first thing they do is come back to Jesus.

This shows something crucial: Mission flows from Jesus and must return to Jesus.

Their power was never independent. Returning reminds us that: 

Ministry does not make us self-sufficient

Success does not replace relationship

Experience does not outweigh communion

Jesus is not just the sender; He remains the center.

*2) How important is going back to Jesus after ministry?*

It is essential, not optional. Why?

*A) To avoid burnout*

Right after this verse, Jesus says: “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while” (Mk 6:31)

Ministry without return leads to exhaustion. Even holy work can drain us if we never rest in Christ.

*B) To avoid pride*

The apostles could have focused on their achievements: “We healed!”, “We preached!”, “Demons obeyed us!”

But returning to Jesus keeps the heart humble: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5)

*C) To be re-centered*

The world measures results. Jesus measures faithfulness and love.

Going back to Him realigns our motives.

*3) The role of reporting to Jesus*

Notice the text: “They reported to him all they had done and taught.”

This is beautiful. Jesus already knows—but He invites them to speak.

Reporting is not for information : It is for relationship.

*When they report:*

They reflect on their actions

They let Jesus interpret their experience

They place their work under His gaze

*This is a model of prayerful reflection:*

What went well?

What was difficult?

Where did I feel God close?

Where did I struggle or fail?

In spiritual terms, this is the seed of examination of conscience and discernment.

*4) Relevance for our life today*

This gesture speaks directly to us:

*A) After work, go back to Jesus* : After teaching, parenting, serving, leading, helping—

Go back to Him. Don’t only meet Jesus before tasks; meet Him after them.

*B) In prayer, “report” your day* : You can literally say: “Lord, this is what I did today.” “This is what I said.” 

“This is where I felt alive.” “This is where I failed.”

That kind of prayer is honest, relational, and healing.

*C) Let Jesus interpret your life* : We often judge ourselves too harshly—or too generously. Jesus gives the true meaning of our actions.

*5) Points to Ponder* 

The apostles did not return to applause. They returned to presence.

That is the heart of Christian life. We are not valued because we are useful. We are fruitful because we are connected.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

The Head of John the Baptist & the Herodias

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Friday*

*Gospel :  Mark 6:14-29*

*First Reading : Sirach 47: 2-11*

*Responsorial Psalm : 18:31,47, 50, 51*

*The Head of John the Baptist & the Herodias*

*1) What did Herodias do with the head of John the Baptist?*

The Gospels say : “Immediately the king sent a soldier… He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.” (Mark 6:27–28)

That final line matters : The head does not remain with Herod. It is delivered to Herodias—the one who truly wanted it.

Scripture then falls silent: No gesture is described. No words. No triumph scene. That silence is deliberate. The evangelists refuse to dramatize cruelty. They let the act stand naked: truth reduced to an object, served like food at a banquet.

Later tradition fills in possibilities—mockery, desecration, secret disposal—but these are not biblical facts. 

What is certain is this: Herodias sought not just John’s death, but his humiliation. The platter turns execution into spectacle.

*2) The  Head and the Spoken Word*

What happens after the banquet is not told—but what happens theologically is clear.

John’s disciples retrieve his body and bury it (Mark 6:29).

His mission is complete.

His voice, though silenced physically, passes to Christ.

The head is gone from the story—but the Word John spoke is not.

This is one of Scripture’s recurring paradoxes: God allows the messenger to be destroyed, but not the message.

*3) Does the head of John the Baptist still speak today?*

Yes—John’s head still speaks 

When power is confronted by truth

When sin is named without hatred

When conscience refuses to be entertained into silence

His beheading proclaims something words alone could not: Truth can be killed, but it cannot be defeated.

In Christian memory, John becomes the archetype of every silenced prophet, every whistleblower, every inconvenient voice. His head “speaks” whenever someone dares to say, “This is not right,” knowing the cost.

Ironically, the platter meant to end his influence becomes the amplifier of his witness.

*4) Does Herodias still speak today?*

Yes—but not with words.

Herodias speaks through patterns that repeat endlessly:

resentment that refuses repentance

power that cannot tolerate moral challenge

outrage at being told “no”

vengeance disguised as justice

*She speaks* Wherever truth is framed as a threat, Whenever the messenger is punished instead of the message examined, Whenever silence is purchased at the price of blood

Herodias doesn’t argue with John. She eliminates him. That instinct is very much alive.

*5) The Dual Heads and Voices*

In this story, two voices contend for history:

*John’s voice*, crying in the wilderness, calling for repentance

*Herodias’ voice*, whispering behind the scenes, demanding control

John loses his head. Herodias gets her way.

And yet—who is remembered as righteous?

Herodias achieves her goal, but leaves no legacy except disgrace to the entire family.

John loses everything, yet becomes the forerunner of Christ, honored by Jesus himself.

*6) The Power of the Head*

Herodias demands John’s head to silence him. But in doing so, she ensures that HIs head will Speak for Eternity through his Martyrdom 

It becomes a mirror, asking every generation:

Whose voice do you silence?

Whose truth do you find “dangerous”?

And which banquet are you attending while injustice is served?

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Shaking of the Dust from the Feet

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Thursday*

*Gospel :  Mark 6:7-13*

*First Reading : 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12* 

*Responsorial Psalm : 1 Chronicles 29:10-12*

*Shaking of the Dust from the Feet*

*1) “Shaking the dust off your feet” meaning*

In Jesus’ time, this was a symbolic action already familiar in Jewish culture.

Jews would sometimes shake dust from their feet when leaving Gentile territory, as a sign of separation from what was considered outside the covenant.

Dust represented belonging. Carrying the dust of a place meant being tied to it.

So Jesus is telling his disciples: If a town refuses the good news, treat that refusal seriously—so seriously that it places them outside the response God is calling for. It’s not petty; it’s prophetic.

*2) Why does Jesus include this in the mission instructions?*

Look at the wider context (Mark 6:7–13): 

The disciples are sent with authority

They travel light—no money, no backup plans

They depend on hospitality

Their task is to proclaim repentance, heal, and confront evil

*The shaking of dust serves two purposes:*

*A) It frees the disciples* : Jesus is protecting them from: Guilt, Bitterness, Endless argument, Feeling responsible for people’s refusal

The message is clear: You are responsible for faithfulness, not for results. Once the message is genuinely offered, the response belongs to the hearer.

*B) It confronts the hearers* : Calling it a “testimony against them” doesn’t mean condemnation in the final sense—it’s a witness.

It says: You were offered God’s nearness, You made a conscious choice, This moment matters

In other words, neutrality is not an option in the presence of the Kingdom.

*3) How is this relevant to Jesus’ mission?*

Jesus’ mission is not just about comfort—it’s about decision.

*Throughout the Gospel*: The Kingdom is near, Repentance is urgent, Time is now

*Shaking the dust emphasizes that*: The Kingdom does not force itself, Grace can be refused, Rejection has weight

Jesus respects human freedom—even when that freedom says no to God.

*4) The deeper spiritual meaning*

At a deeper level, this gesture speaks to several spiritual truths:

*A) God does not coerce*

Love that forces is not love. The Kingdom is offered, not imposed.

Shaking the dust acknowledges: God honors human freedom, even when it breaks His heart.

*B) Rejection of the message is not rejection of the messenger*

This is crucial for anyone called to witness, preach, or serve.

*The act says*: 

I leave without resentment

I do not carry your refusal as my burden

I entrust the outcome to God

It’s a form of holy detachment.

*C) Judgment begins with clarity, not anger*

There’s no curse, no insult, no violence—just a silent action.

That silence is powerful.

It says: You have heard enough to choose.

This aligns with Jesus’ whole style: truth spoken plainly, consequences left in God’s hands.

*5) Reflections for today*

Here are a few ways this speaks to us now:

*In ministry and relationships* : We are called to love, witness, and invite—but not to manipulate or chase endlessly after rejection.

*In discipleship* : Sometimes faithfulness means knowing when to stay—and when to leave.

*In personal faith* : We should ask ourselves: Are there moments when we politely listen to Jesus but still refuse to welcome him?

The dust-shaking is uncomfortable because it reminds us: Every encounter with truth leaves a trace—either of welcome or refusal.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

The Homecoming of Jesus

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Wednesday*

*Gospel :  Mark 6:1-6*

*First Reading : 2 Sam 24:2, 9-17*

*Responsorial Psalm : 32:1-7*

*The Homecoming of Jesus*

*1) What is special about Jesus’ homecoming?*

This is Jesus returning to Nazareth, his hometown, after becoming known as a teacher and miracle-worker. The specialty (and irony) of this homecoming is that:

The people who know Jesus best are the ones who struggle most to believe in him.

Instead of celebration, we see: Familiarity breeding contempt, A crisis of faith, Rejection rather than reception

Jesus is amazed—not at their faith (as elsewhere), but at their unbelief.

*2) How do we understand this passage?*

*A) ) “Is this not the carpenter?”*

The people reduce Jesus to his past and profession.

They see who he was, not who he is now.

His ordinary background becomes a barrier to faith.

*Lesson*: People often struggle to accept that God can work through ordinary people and ordinary places.

*B) “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown”*

This is the heart of the passage : Outsiders are open to Jesus. Insiders are suspicious and resistant.

Familiarity blinds them. They think they already know him.

*C) Jesus could do no mighty work there*

This does not mean Jesus lacked power.

It shows that faith and openness matter.

God does not force miracles on closed hearts.

Divine power is often limited not by God’s ability, but by human unbelief.

*D) Jesus is amazed at their unbelief*

This is striking. : Jesus usually marvels at faith (e.g., the centurion). Here, he marvels at hardened skepticism.

Unbelief is not neutral—it is spiritually significant.

*3) Relevance in the present-day context*

This passage feels very modern.

*A) “We know him already”*

Today, many say: “I grew up Christian.” “I know the Bible stories.” “I’ve heard this before.”

Like Nazareth, familiar religion can lead to indifference, not faith.

*B) Judging by appearances*

We still struggle to believe that: God speaks through ordinary pastors, teachers, parents. God works through people we already know

 We often look for God in the spectacular and miss him in the familiar.

*C) Resistance to change*

Jesus challenges assumptions. Nazareth wanted comfort, not transformation. Today, people often want spirituality without disruption.

This passage asks: Are we open to being challenged by God—or only comforted?

*4) Pints to Ponder*

Am I dismissing God’s voice because it comes from a familiar source?

Have I reduced Jesus to a safe, manageable figure?

Is my unbelief limiting what God wants to do in my life?

Do I allow God to surprise me?

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Woman Who suffered from a chronic hemorrhage for twelve years

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Tuesday*

*Gospel :  Mark 5:21-43*

*First Reading : 2 Sam 18:9-10, 14, 24-30; 19:3*

*Responsorial Psalm : 86:1-6*

*Woman Who suffered from a chronic hemorrhage for twelve years*

*1) Jewish Law & the Sickness*

According to Jewish law (Leviticus 15), her condition made her ritually unclean:

She was socially isolated

Excluded from worship

Unable to touch others without making them unclean

She had tried every available medical option, but nothing helped.

In desperation mixed with faith, she believed: “If I just touch his garment, I will be healed.”

She touches Jesus secretly, is instantly healed, and Jesus publicly affirms her faith.

This is not just a healing story—it is a story of restoration: physical, social, emotional, and spiritual.

*2) Spiritual Significance*

*A) Faith beyond Visibility*

Her faith was quiet, hidden, and risky.

She did not speak aloud, yet Jesus recognized her faith.

True faith does not need attention; it needs trust.

*B) From Ritual Impurity to Personal Dignity*

Instead of Jesus becoming “unclean” by her touch, holiness flows outward from Him and heals her.

This shows that grace is stronger than shame, and mercy overcomes exclusion.

*C) Jesus Seeks Relationship, Not Just Healing*

Jesus stops and asks, “Who touched me?”

Not to shame her—but to restore her publicly.

Healing is not complete until the wounded person is seen, named, and affirmed.

*D) “Daughter” – A Word of Belonging*

Jesus calls her “Daughter”—the only time He uses this title in the Gospels.

Her identity is restored: Not “unclean woman,” not “sick person,” but family.

*3) Why Twelve Years Matters*

Twelve symbolizes completeness (12 tribes, 12 apostles)

Her long suffering reflects waiting without answers

It reminds us that delay is not denial

God may allow long seasons of pain, but they are not meaningless.

*4) Relevance in the Present-Day Context*

*A) People Still Suffer Silently*

Today, many suffer for years with: Chronic illness, Mental health struggles, Trauma, Misdiagnosis or ineffective treatment

This story speaks directly to those who feel forgotten, exhausted, and unheard.

*B) Limits of Human Systems*

The physicians tried, but failed—not because medicine is wrong, but because human solutions have limits.

Faith does not reject science—but reminds us not to replace hope with systems alone.

*C) Faith in a Distracted World*

The woman had to reach Jesus in a crowd.

Even today, faith often requires intentional effort amid noise, skepticism, and distractions.

*D) Restoring the Marginalized*

The woman represents: The voiceless, The excluded, The “invisible” in society

Jesus still stops for those others overlook.

*5) Points to Ponder*

What long struggle have I accepted as “normal”?

Do I believe God notices silent faith?

Am I reaching out in hope—or withdrawing in shame?

Do I stop, like Jesus, to truly see wounded people?

Am I open to being healed in ways that restore identity, not just comfort?

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

The Paradox of Jesus' Presentation and Purification of Mary

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Tuesday*

*Gospel :  Luke 2:22-40*

*First Reading : Malachi 3:1-4*

*Responsorial Psalm : 24:7-10*

*The Paradox of Jesus' Presentation and Purification of Mary*

*1) The Apparent Paradox*

According to Jewish Law (Lev 12; Exod 13):

*The Presentation*: Every firstborn male was to be presented to the Lord and “redeemed.”

*The Purification*: A mother underwent ritual purification after childbirth.

Yet:

*Jesus is God*, not someone who needs to be “offered back” or redeemed.

*Mary is Immaculate*, untouched by sin or ritual impurity.

So the question is very sharp: Why submit to laws that do not apply to them?

*2) Not Necessity, but Freedom*

Neither action was morally necessary for Jesus or Mary.

They act not from obligation, but from loving freedom.

This is crucial: They are not under the Law in the usual sense; they enter into it voluntarily.

St. Paul gives us the key: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor” (2 Cor 8:9).

Their obedience is not about cleansing or redemption—it is about solidarity.

*3) Jesus: Redeemer Who Accepts Redemption*

*The deepest irony is this*: The One who redeems the world is himself “redeemed.”

Jesus allows himself to be treated as:

one among many

a child needing ransom

subject to the Law

Why?

Because salvation works from inside the human condition, not from above it.

He does not save us by exemption, but by entering fully into our situation.

*4) Mary: Purity That Chooses Humility*

Mary’s purification is not about sin, but about humility and communion.

She does not separate herself from other mothers, even though she is unique.

She chooses to walk the path of ordinary obedience, quietly and invisibly.

*This teaches something profound*:

Holiness does not insist on its privileges.

True purity does not announce itself.

It hides, serves, and waits.

*5) Fulfillment, Not Rejection, of the Law*

Jesus later says: “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it” (Mt 5:17).

This moment in the Temple is already a sign of that fulfillment:

The Law is honored, But its limits are revealed

The Law points forward to Christ—but Christ enters the Law first, as a child in his mother’s arms.

*6) A Silent Teaching on Scandal and Love*

There is also a lesson in not causing scandal.

Had Mary refused purification, or Jesus refused presentation, it would have:

drawn attention to themselves

disrupted the community

elevated private privilege over communal faithfulness

Love sometimes chooses to submit rather than explain.

*7) Simeon and Anna: Heaven Recognizes What the Law Cannot*

Interestingly, the Law sees nothing special.

But Simeon and Anna see everything.

*This shows*:

Legal obedience prepares the way

But spiritual sight recognizes the mystery

The Law opens the door; the Spirit reveals who has entered.

*8) Various Lessons*

*A) Obedience Can Be an Act of Love, Not Fear* : We obey not always because we must—but because we love God and others.

*B) Holiness Often Looks Ordinary* : God’s greatest mysteries pass through the Temple like any other family.

*C) Humility Is the Shape of Redemption* :Salvation begins not with miracles, but with submission.

*D) God Meets Us in Our Institutions* : Even limited human structures can become places of divine encounter.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Peace Makers are the Sons of God

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season:  Fourth Week :  Sunday*

*Gospel :  Mt 5:1-12*

*First Reading : Zepha 2:3; 3:12-13*

*Responsorial Psalm : 146:6-10*

*1 Cor 1:26-31*

*Peace Makers are the Sons of God*

*1) Why are peacemakers called “sons of God”?*

In the Bible, a “son” is one who shares the character and mission of the father.

God is revealed throughout Scripture as a God of peace (cf. Rom 15:33).

God actively creates, restores, and reconciles—between himself and humanity, and among human beings.

Therefore, those who make peace are acting as God acts.

To be called “sons of God” means:

They resemble God in their actions.

They participate in God’s work of reconciliation.

They are publicly recognized as belonging to God’s family.

This is not about biological sonship, but moral and spiritual likeness.

*2) What kind of “peace” is meant in Matthew’s Gospel?*

The peace Jesus speaks of is not merely the absence of war or conflict.

*A) Biblical concept of peace: Shalom*

The Jewish background of Jesus points to shalom, which means: Wholeness, Harmony, Right relationships, Well-being of persons and communities

So peace includes: Peace with God, Peace within oneself, Peace with others, Peace within society

*B) Peace through justice and reconciliation*

In Matthew’s Gospel: Peace is closely linked with righteousness (Mt 5:6, 5:10).

Jesus rejects superficial peace that ignores injustice (cf. Mt 10:34—not a denial of peace, but a warning that true peace may bring conflict).

True peace often requires truth, forgiveness, repentance, and courage.

Thus, peacemaking is active, not passive.

*3) What is the need for peace in the world today?*

The Beatitude is extremely relevant today.

*A) A world marked by division*

Today’s world is shaped by: Wars and political conflicts, Religious and ethnic violence, Social injustice and economic inequality, Polarization in families, communities, and even churches

Peace is needed not only at global levels but also: In homes, In workplaces, In digital spaces, In human hearts

*B) Inner peace crisis*

Modern life also creates: Anxiety, Fear, Loneliness, Anger and resentment

Without inner peace, outer peace is fragile.

*4) Significance of this Beatitude today*

This Beatitude: Calls Christians not just to love peace, but to make it

Shifts responsibility from governments alone to every believer

Challenges indifference, neutrality, and silence in the face of injustice

A peacemaker is not: 

Someone who avoids conflict at all costs

Someone who compromises truth

Rather, a peacemaker:

Faces conflict with love

Seeks reconciliation without denying justice

Builds bridges where others build walls

*5) Reflections on “Blessed are the peacemakers”*

*Peacemaking begins in the heart* : One cannot give peace without first receiving it from God. Prayer, humility, and self-examination are essential.

*Peacemaking is costly* : Jesus himself made peace through the cross. True peacemakers may be misunderstood, rejected, or hurt.

*Peacemaking is a Christian vocation* : Every baptized person is called to be an agent of reconciliation—in words, actions, and attitudes.

*Peacemakers reflect Christ* : Jesus is the ultimate Peacemaker (cf. Eph 2:14). When we forgive, reconcile, and heal divisions, we mirror Christ to the world.

*The promise is recognition by God* : The world may not always honor peacemakers, but God does: “they shall be called sons of God.”

*In a world loud with conflict and fear, peacemakers quietly reveal who God is. This Beatitude reminds us that peace is not weakness—it is divine strength in action.*

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*