By: Sean Deignan
Hey everyone, this is Sean writing to you this week. A lot has been going on at Camp Gray in the last week or so. We have started our spring season of retreats, and are able to enjoy God’s beautiful creation and get outside a little! I could go on all day about how great camp is in the spring, but let’s move on to this week’s Gospel reading, which comes from Mark: (more…)
By: Amy Baker
Hello all! This is Amy coming to you from the wonderful and beautiful Camp Gray. These last few days have brought us incredibly gorgeous weather in the high 60’s. And because of this warm weather we’ve been hurrying up to finish projects that require cold weather – more specifically, ice. One such project was clearing the marsh of some of the young trees that are turning it into a forest. Doing this required cutting down the trees and dragging all that wood across the frozen marsh, down the red trail, and to the athletic field.
Now, you may be wondering, and rightfully so, what this has to do with the Gospel for this Sunday. Don’t worry, we’re getting there. So for this marsh clearing project my task was to drag the trees away. It wasn’t too bad for the first load, but by the 4th or 5th I was pretty tired. At one point these song lyrics ran through my head: “And every day I will pick up my cross and walk with you, Lord, by your side…” and I thought about Jesus carrying his cross two thousand years ago. On that note, here’s the Gospel for this Sunday coming to you from John 3:14-21. (more…)
Editor’s Note: I know, it’s past March 15. Due to a small snag, we weren’t able to get the devotion out this week, but I didn’t want to keep you from Pat’s great thoughts. Enjoy a bit of added reflection on this past week’s Gospel. -Sara
Hello to all from Pat at Camp Gray. Is anyone else ready for spring? As I shuffle from building to building here at camp on the ice, I am eagerly anticipating spring and the warm weather that comes with it. On to the Gospel for the week: (more…)
By: Rachel Maxwell
Hello! Greetings from Rachel at a soggy but spring-like Camp Gray. I might get in trouble with my ski-loving co-workers for saying this, but I’m pretty pumped for the next season to arrive. I think the fact that snow is melting all over camp with the sunny 50 degree weather today really helps get me excited for spring. I’m also slightly dreading another freeze or snowfall that will most likely happen in our lovely, unpredictable state. Anyhow, I know how much we love talking about the weather here at Camp, but I’ll change the subject into our Gospel for this week. Mark tells us the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, which is one of the more important and famous events of Jesus’ life found in the Bible. It is also the fourth of the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary, which are the newest set of mysteries for the Rosary. Fun fact. So, here we go. Read carefully…..
Mark 9: 2-10 Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant. (more…)
By: Mo-T Wilks
Greetings Earthlings! I know what you’re thinking, “Mo-T, you’re an Earthling too.” I’m not going to comment on the current state of weather or snow here at Camp Gray. That’s what is usually talked about here, but I wondered if you wouldn’t rather know what I am eating right now. That just happens to be a Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar, of the Oats ‘N Honey variety. Great, now that we’ve covered the formalities, let’s move on to the Gospel for this Sunday.
Mark 1:12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
By: Chris Topher Aderhold
Howdy friends!
Chris Topher here, proudly bringing you the weekly Gospel reflection from Camp Gray. I hope this email finds you all well. Things at Camp have been going strong, and as spring is quickly approaching, those of us that work in the office are getting geared up for summer camp. Because I’ve taken up skiing this winter, I’ve been enjoying the cold and snowy weather, however, I’m getting pumped for some warm, sunny days!
Anyhow, let’s get to the Gospel, which comes to us from the good book of Mark:
Greetings from Camp Gray and me, Jenna, on this warm and sunny Saturday morning. While the warm weather is a joy, it definitely makes cross country skiing, a favorite pastime around here, much more
difficult! This Sunday’s Gospel comes from Mark…
Mark 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
When the evangelist Mark was writing to inform his readers about Jesus, he highlighted many of Jesus’ phenomenal aspects. This reading is a great example of the wonders and miracles that Jesus performed. (more…)
Hey everyone, this is Sean writing to you from the beautiful woods of Camp Gray. We have been keeping ourselves busy up here at camp recently with snowshoeing, sledding, teambuilding activities, etc. I hope you are enjoying the second semester of school so far, and I hope you are all thinking about coming back to Camp Gray this summer! On to this week’s Gospel, which comes from the book of Mark.
Mark 1:21-28
Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
This is a pretty intense story that shows how powerful Jesus really was. He walked into that synagogue and talked to the people about Himself and God. Now in these times, people were used to hearing lessons about God from other people who didn’t have the same knowledge or power that Jesus had. When He started talking about Himself as the Son of God, people were amazed.
(more…)