>>I have to say that I’m very, very excited to be back recording these masses for all of Chicagoland, ah, as we’ve been through this time of pandemic. I do know, however, that we’re up against Cardinal Cupich on the other channel. So, thank you for tuning in.

It’s really good to be together today. I’m in such a good mood that I’d like to assign everyone homework. Everyone’s got homework today. You thought this mass was going to be done in 30 minutes, well, in fact I’m going to ask you to extend this celebration by doing your pandemic homework. And your pandemic homework is this- you ready? I’m going to ask you, humbly ask you to read Mark’s gospel.

You see, just over the past few weeks we’ve begun the proclamation of Mark’s gospel and I’m going to invite you to go ahead and carve out 20 minutes – it will not take you more than 20 minutes, but take 20 minutes and read all of Mark’s gospel. 24 chapters, that’s all it is. 24 short chapters. And friends, you can do it, as I mentioned, within 20 short minutes. There’s something about Mark’s gospel that’s to the point, it’s very specific and it’s a very easy read.

I want to walk with you about, for the beginning of Mark’s gospel. It begins, of course, with Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan. It continues by Jesus going into the desert to pray, it continues by Jesus calling His disciples. We just heard that story, that calling of the disciples, two weeks ago.

Further, Jesus goes into the synagogue and prays and then He begins healing people, which is where we find ourselves in today’s gospel. Most specifically, He just had called Simon and Andrew – Simon Peter, and Andrew James, and John – and no sooner had He called them, He’s healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. How powerful. First the call and the response of yes and now Jesus heals Simon peter’s mother-in-law for today. How powerful.

You know, I invite us to read Mark’s gospel because it’s such a transformative story. And every time you read the gospel you hear something new and something transformative in your own life.

The story today of healing reminds me of the three marks of a disciple. What is a disciple? A disciple is somebody who first of all prays – and you hear how Jesus prayed before He healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and He prays after He heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. A disciple prays. A disciple serves their brothers and sisters. And how often do we see Jesus serving? And all the disciples serving? And finally, a disciple shares their faith with others. And that’s the one we probably do the least and we could work on.

Sharing our faith with our sisters and brothers. Not telling them what to do, but actually sharing why we walk with Jesus our shepard. Our savior. Our hope. Our Lord.

To be a disciple means that you pray and that you serve and that you share. You can write those three down. You pray. And you serve. And you share. That’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Let us recommit ourselves to that. And, read Mark’s gospel. Trusting in God’s mercy. Trusting in God’s love. Trusting that we walk as Jesus’ disciples as we offer our prayers and our petitions.