January 22, 2026

When problems and worries arise, try offering them up to God.  It seems odd to offer a big mess of conflicts and stress to God, because we think we should offer only beautiful, valuable things to the divinity. But try sometime just offering a big mess in your life up to God and leave it in God’s hands. How often, after a time, clarity or a solution emerges or something changes for the better. In the Catholic tradition, Mary Untier of Knots is a beautiful image for how God can undo the tangle of a seemingly intractable situation. Pope Francis frequently prayed before Mary Untier of Knots.

Sometimes in contemplative prayer, it is as if we are in a peaceful inner chapel, with Christ the King seated behind the altar, while we sit facing him.  In that space in our soul, all is quiet as we sit in the presence of God.  As St. Teresa of Avila said, that peaceful inner space in communion with God is always there, available to us.  This is the innermost sanctum of the interior castle that she wrote about in a book of that name. https://www.amazon.com/Interior-Castle-Mirabai-Starr-ebook/dp/B002IPZJ92

Through God’s loving presence, always forgiving us, always seeking us, God is trying to teach us how to be present for each other with love. God is modeling loving presence and showing us how to be like that and follow that example.

Today’s Gospel reading, Mark 3:7-12, recounts that people came long distances to seek healing from Jesus or bringing loved ones, mothers with sick children. They were longing for the healing touch of the Son of God. But when unclean spirits recognized Jesus and shouted that he is the Son of God, he warned them sternly not to make him known.  His actions spoke for themselves; he did not loudly proclaim who he is, even to the end. This is the way of God, in all humility to serve, and not to call oneself great, even the Son of God.  Amen.