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Ever wonder why we Catholics honor Mary? You can find the answer in this Sunday’s Gospel reading, which comes from Luke 1:39-45. In the verses immediately preceding this passage (Luke 1:26-38), we hear how the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son. Gabriel also informed Mary that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived a child in her old age. With the Christ child in her womb, Mary sets off to visit her cousin.

When Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s house, Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Have you ever wondered what God wants from you? Often, we rush through our days, focused on routines—work, school, family—without thinking about deeper questions. It’s usually when something goes wrong—a sickness, job loss, or loss of a loved one—that we pause and ask, “God, what do you want from me?”

God’s answer is simple yet profound: He wants everything—our whole hearts and lives. In Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 12:38-44), Jesus notices a poor widow placing her last coins in the temple treasury. “For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

In today’s Gospel (Mark 12:28-34), Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. His response is both simple and profound: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength;” and then he adds a second, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” These two commands encapsulate the essence of our faith, but they are far from easy to live out.

This passage invites us to reflect on what true love means. In our culture, love is often reduced to a feeling or preference—liking someone or something. However, Jesus calls us to a much deeper love, the kind He showed on the cross: agape, a love of self-sacrifice and action. It’s not about feelings but about choosing to do good for others, even those we may not like or who hurt us. True love is laying down our lives in small ways for the sake of others.

Fear touches every part of our lives. We fear sickness, loneliness, financial loss, and ultimately, death. These fears can paralyze us, keeping us from moving forward. But in today’s Gospel, the story of Bartimaeus offers a profound reflection on how we can find hope through faith in Jesus.

Bartimaeus, whose name means “son of fear,” lived his life in darkness, unable to work or support himself, left to beg on the streets. Fear blinds us in a similar way, preventing us from seeing solutions, hope, or a way forward. Yet, when Bartimaeus hears Jesus is near, he doesn’t hold back. He cries out in humility, asking for mercy: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

His cry is a model for our own prayer—persistent, humble, and trusting. Even when others try to silence him, Bartimaeus continues to call out, trusting that Jesus will respond. And Jesus does stop, calling Bartimaeus to come to Him. In an act of faith, Bartimaeus throws aside his cloak, a symbol of his old life, and asks for healing.

In reflecting on the role of the priesthood, we are reminded of the profound insights from the Letter to the Hebrews. In this passage, we are told that Jesus is our great High Priest, who has “passed through the heavens” and can sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tested in every way, yet without sin. This speaks to the depth of Christ’s love and solidarity with us. He understands our struggles, and as our High Priest, He intercedes for us continually before the Father.

In the Old Testament, the high priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people to atone for their sins, but these sacrifices were temporary.

Even when Christians, including Catholics, think about death, they usually wind up actually believing different things. Many assume that immediate entry into heaven is the default outcome, relying on popular perceptions or selective interpretations of Scripture. Yet, Jesus offers a more nuanced perspective: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” This teaching underscores a crucial point: salvation is not merely a matter of avoiding the worst moral pitfalls but involves a profound transformation of life aligned with Christ’s teachings.

To understand this better, imagine standing before God at the end of your life and asking to enter heaven. If God were to question why you should be admitted, citing that you’re “not as bad” as notorious historical figures, such as Adolph Hitler, or professing a general love of humanity without a clear life of doing good to and for others, might not be convincing. Genuine love for God must be reflected in daily actions and choices, not just verbal affirmations.

Today’s Gospel story is an example of what some scripture scholars call a “Markan sandwich.”We have the story of the woman afflicted with a hemorrhage in between the two halves of the story of the little girl who died and was brought back to life by Jesus. What links the two stories is the number 12: the little girl was twelve years old, and the woman had a hemorrhage for 12 years. One story enlightens the other.

In the case of the woman with the hemorrhage; such a flow of blood would have made her ritually impure and unable to participate in the life and activities of the temple and synagogue. Effectively, she was spiritually “dead” for twelve years.