January 23, 2025 – Reaching Out for Christ!

 

 

 

 

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Mark 3:7-12

 

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, you are the only one who can do great things in my life if I only let you, if I only come into contact with you and touch you through prayer. I believe that some of the greatest things you want to do for me right now are spiritual things—giving me more virtue, more holiness, more of your presence in my life. This is the time that you want and choose to do that work in me. I believe and trust that you have called me here for this time of prayer, that it is not by chance that I am here now, and that you have plans for this time beyond what I could imagine. Help me to be really open to those plans.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. They Came from Everywhere: The Gospel today gives us a glimpse into the life of Christ, into his fame, which was spreading everywhere. The people of all these small towns had to come to know Christ little by little, and had only a glimpse of his person and his divinity through the miracles, through “hearing what he was doing,” and through his teaching. The people were drawn out of their homes. They were drawn from far away regions. They went where he went, and left things behind in order to be near him. May we discover Christ more deeply, and let his words and actions speak to us and draw us to him as these people were drawn. Is there an interior movement toward Christ that we need to make today, in this moment of prayer?                            
  2. They Pressed Upon Him to Touch Him: The miracles of Jesus were effective not only when Jesus stopped, gave someone his attention, and spoke to that person. The fact that people were being healed only by pressing up to Jesus paints a new picture of his goodness: It flows out of him abundantly. We can picture the crowd climbing over each other in a narrow street and frantically trying to touch him. We don’t need an appointment with Jesus, or need to get his attention somehow in order to be transformed by him. He is constantly and eternally present to us. How “frantically” are we seeking Christ? Do we have a strong desire and need for contact with him?                                                                                                                                                               
  3. Not to Make Him Known: When Jesus cured people of unclean spirits, he commanded the demons not to make him known. Perhaps Jesus was making a distinction between those who would speak of him to others as instruments of the Holy Spirit with hearts full of love, thus effecting the spread of the Kingdom, and those, like demons, who could have no good motive for sharing what Jesus was trying to do. May all of our actions give glory to God, never to ourselves.

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you are a mystery to me! You have healing power that I long for and flows out of you abundantly, that doesn’t hold back. And yet, I can never expect to grasp you totally. I grow in understanding you little by little. Help me to increase my longing and thirst for you. I want to be close to you.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek a moment to pause and reach out for contact with you.

For Further Reflection: Compare with Mark 5:24-34, the woman with the hemorrhage.

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!