Ok, remember at the beginning of Mass as I invited you to state a Super Power that you wish that you had. Well, can you tell me which Super Hero has these following powers?
Fly – Superman, Owlette
Fast – Flash, Cat Boy
Strong – Gekko, Hulk (also has anger issues)
Tough fighter – Wonder Woman
Cool and Agile, climb walls – Spiderman
Genius, funny – Iron Man
Lots of gadgets – Batman
Super Soldier – Captain America
Now, all those are good attributes, but have you noticed that in the past few years, instead of ONLY having one superhero fight the bad people there are more movies and stories of a TEAM of them combating evil. For example . . . movies about the Justice League, Avengers, X-men, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PJ Masks. And in recent movies, there is never only ONE power that is needed No, instead all the powers are needed and all the Super Heroes are needed to work together and to get the job done.
Now let’s jump to the scriptures. If you remember this year we are hearing Mark’s gospel, and in Mark’s story there are three things that have been happening:
- John the Baptist gets arrested, so Jesus moves out of Nazareth forever;
- Jesus starts to preach…with a very short and clear message: repent for the Kingdom of God is coming
- Jesus doesn’t do it alone! He calls together a community (this is what we heard last Sunday). He calls the disciples and others.
Now this is crucial, for if anyone could have been a one-man show, a set-apart super hero…it could have been Jesus. But he doesn’t do that, even when his family questions him…are you out of your mind? You can’t do this! Come back home and let’s just be normal . . . i.e. sip coffee, gossip about others, complain about what’s wrong in the world, etc.
Jesus doesn’t do this. He goes-the-journey of NOT remaining alone. And before Jesus started a team approach, Mark’s gospel only says he preached. It wasn’t until AFTER a group is formed, that Jesus does miracles: healing, bending driving out demons (like in today’s gospel, and remember that this is all only within Chapter one of Mark…there’s more to come!)
Well what does it mean for us? Well hello! How dare any of us think that we have to “do it” alone? How dare any of us think that we need to carry the burden ourselves? For example, that secret burden, that hidden hurt that you’re afraid “to bother” others with.
The second reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is goofy, because it sounds like Paul is advocating bad marriages or treating a spouse like a servant. But Paul was writing at a time (after Jesus died and rose and left) when people (including Paul) thought Jesus was coming back real soon . . . like next week! So for the sake of the community, he tells them NOT to make any drastic changes . . . but let us just support one another as we are.
Well as community, we are in this with Jesus. Maybe we need to get a theme song, or a red cape . . . we’ll say JESUS POWER!! I don’t know, but I do know each one of us has gifts . . . yet with only your gift, the power is limited. But putting our gifts/talents together . . . then we get a great parish.
Now there are two aspects of parish life. One is the large group (which we call the Macro Community) and the other are those smalls groups (called Micro Community). Both are needed.
The Macro Community is our way of being together as Church. We gather on the weekends.
We come, not knowing everyone else, but we come to support and pray for each other.
The still born death of a few weeks ago. The baptism of babies. The excitement of 1st Communion. It is all of us here . . . as we hear from scripture and what happened years ago.
But we also need the small community, the Micro Communities. These offer what the large group cannot. This is where the entire group knows your name and they are concerned about the events of recent days. These groups meet for many purposes.
Too often, people complain about the large Church (e.g. that no one has said hello, of that no one asked about their week, etc.) Those tasks are the tasks of the small group. Those smaller groups are the Bowling League, the choir, the Social Justice Co. or the groups that I have had over at my house to hear about the Campaign. AND even better, we will be starting small groups for Lent. This is your chance to belong and to feel support . . . and offer support
Maybe it means that if more miracles are going to happen….miracles of healing, miracles of hope, miracles of comfort…it’s going to happen through all of us. In the large group and also the small group. It’s up to you . . . SHOW UP!
There is a saying, “The greatest person on the face of the earth had 12 people helping him, If we don’t think we need help we are not very intelligent.”