Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B

MARK 1:29-39
JOAN AND I WORK WITH OTHER MARRIED COUPLES IN PRE-CANA PROGRAMS, WHICH IS PART OF THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY TO ENGAGED COUPLES.  WE WERE TALKING WITH ONE OF THESE COUPLES ABOUT HOW THEY MET AND WHAT PROBLEMS THEY HAD TO OVERCOME IN THE EARLY PART OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.  THE HUSBAND IS THE BREADWINNER AND THE WIFE HOME SCHOOLS THE SIX KIDS AND MANAGES TO RUN AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE HOUSEHOLD.  THEY ARE BOTH DEVOTED TO THE CHURCH AND THEIR LIVES REFLECT THAT.  IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION SHE SAID SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT:  “I WANT TO SAVE MY SOUL AND BE THE BEST WIFE AND MOTHER I CAN BE”.  IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SHE PROBABLY REMINDED HERSELF OF EVERY DAY.  IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HER MISSION STATEMENT.
YOU MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A MISSION STATEMENT.  WHEN I WORKED AT BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO TRANSFORM ITSELF, MANY OF US SPENT A LOT OF TIME HELPING DEVELOP A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THAT HUGE INSTITUTION.  AFTER ABOUT SIX MONTHS, THIS WAS THE STATEMENT:  TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY WITH QUALITY AND COMPASSION.  I AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THOUGHT “THAT TOOK SIX MONTHS AND MANY MEETINGS AND A LOT OF VALUABLE TIME?”  BUT OVER TIME, I BEGAN TO SEE THE VALUE OF A MISSION STATEMENT.  IT'S WHAT YOU CONSULT EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE.  AND I SAW THE LEADERS OF BAYSTATE DO THIS.  I SAW SOME GREAT IDEAS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIT THE MISSION.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.  THEIR STATEMENT IS:  “TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH FRIENDLY, RELIABLE, AND LOW-COST AIR TRAVEL.”  ONCE SOMEONE PROPOSED THAT SOUTHWEST CONTRACT WITH CATERING COMPANIES, SO THAT A PASSENGER COULD ORDER A MEAL THAT WOULD BE SERVED WHEN HE OR SHE GOT ON THE PLANE – NOT FREE, OF COURSE.  THE IDEA WAS DOABLE AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GENERATED A LITTLE EXTRA REVENUE, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT ON THE PLANES WITH THIS POLICY, YOU'D EITHER NEED AN EXTRA STEWARD, AND THAT WOULD DETRACT FROM THE “LOW-COST” PART OF THE MISSION; OR YOU'D NEED THE STEWARDS TO SPEND TIME DISTRIBUTING MEALS AND PICKING UP AFTER, WHICH WOULD DETRACT FROM THE FRIENDLY PART.  THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING BUT PEANUTS AND PRETZELS ON SOUTHWEST.
AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, THERE ARE MISSION STATEMENTS THAT TAKE SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS; THERE ARE STATEMENTS THAT ARE VERY NICE, BUT ARE NEVER USED TO GIVE DIRECTION, AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DON'T HAVE MISSION STATEMENTS, AND THEY OFTEN GET IN TROUBLE.  JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT, AND TODAY'S GOSPEL SHOWS HIM USING IT TO SHAPE HIS DECISIONS.  I THINK YOU MAY REMEMBER IT, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR."
JESUS SEEMS ALWAYS TO ATTRACT A CROWD.  PEOPLE ARE BRINGING HIM THE SICK, THE LAME, THE DEMON-POSSESSED, AND ASKING HIM TO HEAL THEM.  AND HE DOES.  AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT IF YOU COULD HEAL PEOPLE BY TOUCHING THEM AND PRAYING OVER THEM (AND BY THE WAY, SOME OF YOU CAN, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARISMS GOD GIVES SOME PEOPLE IN HIS CHURCH) YOU WOULD PROBABLY RESPOND LIKE JESUS.  AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO BE HEALED.  AND THEN YOU WOULD THINK, “I'M DOING A LOT OF GOOD HERE, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT?”  AND YOU MIGHT SET UP A LITTLE SHOP AND CHARGE ENOUGH TO LIVE ON, AND GO INTO THE HEALING BUSINESS.  BUT JESUS ALWAYS REMEMBERS HIS MISSION STATEMENT, THE FIRST PART OF WHICH IS TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR.  AND WHEN SIMON TELLS HIM EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR HIM, JESUS SAYS, “LET US GO TO NEARBY VILLAGES SO THAT I MAY PREACH TO THEM, FOR THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME.”
IMAGINE A BOWL.  YOU FILL IT WITH MARBLES.  IS IT FULL?  WELL, YOU CAN PUT A LOT OF SALT IN THERE.  BUT IF YOU START WITH THE SALT, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT A SINGLE MARBLE IN THERE.
EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR, YOU AND I NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT, AND WHAT IS JUST “BEING BUSY”.  WE NEED TO REVIEW EVERY DAY WHETHER WE'VE FILLED OUR DAY WITH MARBLES OR SALT.  AND IF WE HAVE A CHOICE, THE MARBLES ARE WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SALT.
JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT THAT KEPT HIM FOCUSED AND MADE SURE HE DIDN'T GET DISTRACTED.  SPENDING HIS WAKING HOURS HEALING PEOPLE WAS JUST SALT; PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS WAS MARBLES.  THERE WAS ROOM FOR BOTH, BUT ONLY IF HE TOOK CARE OF THE MARBLES FIRST, AND HE ALWAYS DID.
OUR PARISH HAS A MISSION STATEMENT.  IT'S ON THE BULLETIN.  BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE MEMBERS OF THIS PARISH, WE SHOULD TAKE TO HEART THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GUIDING THE PARISH ACCORDING TO THAT STATEMENT, AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PARISH OR IN THE MANY ACTIVITIES WE HAVE IN THIS PARISH FIT IN WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT.  MARBLES OR SALT?
YOU AND I NEED MISSION STATEMENTS FOR OUR LIVES AS WELL, SIMPLE ONES THAT KEEP US FOCUSED, NAME OUR PRIORITIES, AND GIVE OUR LIVES MEANING, LIKE THE ONE YOU HEARD FROM MY FRIEND.  HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOURS IS?  IT WON'T BE TOO LONG BEFORE WE BEGIN LENT.  THAT MIGHT BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO USE THOSE SIX WEEKS – TO THINK ABOUT MY MISSION, WHY GOD HAS PUT ME HERE; TO WRITE OUT IN A SINGLE SENTENCE MY PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT, AND THEN TO READ IT EVERY MORNING AS I PLAN MY DAY, AND REVIEW IT EVERY EVENING BEFORE I GO TO BED.  I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WHEN EASTER COMES AROUND, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE MARBLES AND A BIT LESS SALT IN OUR LIVES.