Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 328
Lectionary: 328
Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,
because that was the most renowned high place.
Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David,
because he behaved faithfully toward you,
with justice and an upright heart;
and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today,
seating a son of his on his throne.
O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,
king to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this–
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right–
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”
because that was the most renowned high place.
Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David,
because he behaved faithfully toward you,
with justice and an upright heart;
and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today,
seating a son of his on his throne.
O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,
king to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this–
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right–
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”
Responsorial Psalm ps 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
R. (12b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
How shall a young man be faultless in his way?
By keeping to your words.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
How shall a young man be faultless in his way?
By keeping to your words.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Gospel mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
Meditation:
"Come away and rest a while"
What does the image of a shepherd tell us about God’s care for
us? Shepherding was one of the oldest of callings in Israel, even before
farming, since the Chosen People had traveled from place to place, living in
tents, and driving their flocks from one pasture to another. Looking after
sheep was no easy calling. It required great skill and courage. Herds were
often quite large, thousands or even ten thousands of sheep. The flocks
spent a good part of the year in the open country. Watching over them required
a great deal of attention and care. Sheep who strayed from the flock had to be
sought out and brought back by the shepherd. Since hyenas, jackals, wolves, and
even bear were common and fed on sheep, the shepherds often had to do battle
with these wild and dangerous beasts. A shepherd literally had to put his life
on the line in defending his sheep. Shepherds took turns watching the sheep at
night to ward off any attackers. The sheep and their shepherds continually
lived together. Their life was so intimately bound together that individual
sheep, even when mixed with other flocks, could recognize the voice of their
own shepherd and would come immediately when called by name.
The Old Testament often spoke of God as shepherd of his people,
Israel. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). Give
ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psalm 80:1) We
are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). The Messiah is
also pictured as the shepherd of God's people: He will feed his flock like a
shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus told
his disciples that he was the Good Shepherd who was willing to lay down his
life for his sheep (Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4, John 10). When he saw the
multitude of people in need of protection and care, he was moved to respond
with compassionate concern. His love was a personal love for each and every
person who came to him in need. Peter the apostle called Jesus the Shepherd
and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). Do you know the peace and
security of a life freely submitted to Jesus, the Good Shepherd? In the person
of the Lord Jesus we see the unceasing vigilance and patience of God's love. In
our battle against sin and evil, Jesus is ever ready to give us help, strength,
and refuge. Do you trust in his grace and help at all times?
"Lord Jesus, you guard and protect us from all evil. Help
me to stand firm in your word and to trust in your help in all circumstances.
May I always find rest and refuge in the shelter of your presence."
 Resting in the Lord |
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Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Alex Yeung, LC
Mark 6:30-34
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all
they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away by
yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and
going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went
off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving
and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the
towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the
vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I
believe that you are present here. You know me through and through, and
despite my weaknesses, sins and imperfections you love me. Lord, thank you
for your love. Today I give you my mind, my heart and my will. Mold me and
use me as you wish.
Petition: Mary,
obtain for me the grace to understand and live the Christian meaning of rest.
1. A Needed Rest: Jesus
knows that his disciples need to rest after returning from a long stint of
missionary work. There is a need to replenish energies — physical, mental and
spiritual. It is within God’s will to put moments of physical rest into our
daily programs. Jesus tells the apostles to get away together and with him.
Physical rest, of course, is not laziness or dissipation. It is not a place
to lose the spiritual tautness of our soul towards God and his things, or the
readiness to do God’s will at all times.
2. Thinking About Others: Jesus
teaches us that being ready to do God’s will in everything means also being
always ready to serve others. How beautiful it is when families can relax
together with each member not just selfishly thinking about myself, how much
fun I can have, or making sure everyone obeys my whims! In a culture where
“vacation” is synonymous with “loafing,” Jesus reminds us that for a
Christian, relaxing and having fun are not incompatible with thinking about
and serving others. Jesus’ compassionate heart was always active, and even
with rest on his mind, he was moved to give himself to the people who needed
to hear the Word of God. Is my heart like Christ’s? Am I aware of the
physical and spiritual needs of my family and friends even on my “day off”?
3. Thinking About God: There is
a deeper meaning to “rest”: turning all our activity to glorify God and
expressing our loving dependence on him. He commanded us to set apart one day
of the week to “rest” in him, to direct our hearts and minds to him, to offer
him the fruits of our week’s work, and to receive his grace to begin another
week. Sunday must be the highlight of a Christian’s week, not just because he
finds respite from his work, but because he offers all his work –– and
himself –– to God the Father during the communal celebration of Mass, the
heart of Sunday. This God-centered focus is extended throughout the whole
Sunday rest, where “daily concerns and tasks can find their proper
perspective: the material things about which we worry give way to spiritual
values; in a moment of encounter and less pressured exchange, we see the true
face of the people with whom we live. Even the beauties of nature — too often
marred by the desire to exploit, which turns against man himself — can be
rediscovered and enjoyed to the full” (John Paul II, Dies Domini, 67).
Conversation with Christ: Lord
Jesus, help me to find my true rest in you. You are the source of all that is
good. Help me to order all my work and material things towards spiritual
values. Help me make Mass the heart of my Sunday. As well, help me use Sunday
to see the true face of my family, friends, colleagues and clients: they are
souls which you call me to love, serve, and bring closer to you.
Resolution: I will
find some concrete way to prepare myself and my family for the celebration of
Sunday Mass: reflecting on the Mass readings, organizing ourselves to arrive
early to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, doing some service of charity
like visiting the sick or elderly, etc.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, MARK 6:30-34
MARK 6:30-34
(1 Kings 3:4-13; Psalm 119)
MARK 6:30-34
(1 Kings 3:4-13; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (v 31).
READING: The twelve apostles had been sent by Jesus to heal, preach and to announce the coming of God's reign (vs 7-13). When they returned from their first mission they reported all that they had done in his name. Because the needs of the people had been so great, the apostles scarcely had time to eat. As a wise leader, Jesus knew that these servants of God must tend to their physical as well as to their spiritual needs, and he invited them to go with him to a secluded place to rest. The crowds saw Jesus going away in a boat, so they went around the lake on foot. When Jesus and his men arrived, they discovered that the people were already there to meet them. Instead of being annoyed by this interruption, Jesus took pity on the crowd, for they were "like sheep without a shepherd." Ignoring his own need for rest, Jesus began to "teach them many things" (v 34).
REFLECTING: Do I pray for the physical and spiritual needs of those who minister in my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to balance my work with recreation and prayer.
Optional Memorial of Jerome Emiliani, priest
After a dissolute youth, Jerome Emiliani became a soldier in Venice in 1506. Captured by Venetian forces in 1511, he was chained in a dungeon. He prayed to Our Lady for help, and was miraculously freed by an apparition. Jerome was ordained during the spotted-fever plague of 1518. He cared for the sick and housed orphans in his own home. At night he roamed the streets, burying those who had died unattended. He contracted the fever himself, but survived. Jerome founded six orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes, and a hospital. In 1532 he founded the Order of Somaschi (Company of Servants of the Poor, Somascan Fathers, or Regular Clergy of Somasca), which was named after the town of Somasca where the order started. They continue their work today in a dozen countries. It is believed Jerome developed the question-and-answer catechism technique for teaching children religion. He was declared the patron of orphans and abandoned children in 1928 by Pope Pius XI.
Optional Memorial of Josephine Bakhita, virgin
Josephine Bakhita was born to a wealthy Sudanese family, and given the name Bakhita, which means “fortunate.” She was kidnapped by slave-traders at age 9 and was purchased in 1883 by an Italian consul who planned to free her. She accompanied him to Italy and worked for the family as a nanny. As an adult convert she joined the Church in 1890, and took the name of Josephine as a symbol of her new life. She entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice, Italy in 1893, serving as a Canossian Sister for the next fifty years. Her gentle presence, her warm, amiable voice, and her willingness to help with any menial task were a comfort to the poor and suffering people who came to the door of the Institute. After her biography was published in 1930, she became a noted and sought after speaker, raising funds to support missions.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Owning Up
Without the discipline of frequent confession, we can drift away
from the reality of our shortcomings. If we are to achieve holiness, we must be
honest about our faults and do penance for them.
Lord, teach me your decrees
‘Come away to some lonely place and rest for a while.’In the busyness of our daily lives we often feel the need to be alone, to be refreshed, to find ourselves again. Perhaps this is our need for a spiritual tonic, a retreat to find the God within ourselves. When we move away from life’s demands and allow our bodies and minds to travel lightly we seem closer to the wholeness we crave. Writer Daniel O’Leary says: ‘We see more clearly as we gradually become more empty. And the more empty we become, the more room there is for God to fill us.’ Jesus encouraged his disciples to withdraw from the world for a time and immerse themselves in the stillness of God’s presence. We too can step into the shoes of the pilgrim and awaken our spirituality as we spend time with the God within.
February
8
St. Josephine Bakhita
(c. 1868-1947)
St. Josephine Bakhita
(c. 1868-1947)
For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was
always free and eventually that spirit prevailed.
Born in
Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the
age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which meansfortunate.
She was re-sold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian
consul in Khartoum, Sudan.
Two years
later he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli.
Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice's
Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was
being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized
and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine.
When the
Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back
with them, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case, the
Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine's behalf.
The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually
been free since 1885.
Josephine
entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession
three years later. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast
of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing,
embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She soon became well loved by
the children attending the sisters' school and the local citizens. She once
said, "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a
great grace it is to know God!"
The first
steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized
eight years later.
Comment:
Josephine's body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her inner spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God's people as a Canossian sister.
Josephine's body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her inner spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God's people as a Canossian sister.
She who worked under
many "masters" was finally happy to address God as "master"
and carry out everything that she believed to be God's will for her.
Quote:
During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."
During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 6,30-34
Lectio:
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 6,30-34
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.
And he said to them, 'Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while'; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat.
So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves.
But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them.
So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.
And he said to them, 'Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while'; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat.
So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves.
But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them.
So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today is in great contrast with that of yesterday. On one side, the banquet of death, wanted by Herod with the great of his kingdom in the Palace of the Capital, during which John the Baptist was murdered, (Mk 6, 17-29); on the other side, the banquet of life promoted by Jesus with the hungry people of Galilee, in the desert (Mk 6, 30-44).The Gospel today presents only the introduction of the multiplication of the loaves and describes the teaching of Jesus.
• Mark 6, 30-32. The welcome given to the disciples. “At that time, the Apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them: “Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while”. These verses show how Jesus formed his disciples. He was not concerned only about the content of the preaching, but also of rest for the disciples. He invited them to go to a lonely place so as to be able to rest and review what they had done.
• Mark 6, 33-34. The welcome given to the people. The people perceive that Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake, and they followed him trying to go to him by foot, to the other shore. “So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd, and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he set himself to teach them at some length”. Seeing that crowd Jesus was sad, “because they were like sheep without a shepherd”. He forgets his rest and begins to teach them. In becoming aware that the people have no shepherd, Jesus began to be their shepherd. He begins to teach them. As the Psalm says: “The Lord is my Shepherd! I lack nothing. In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me. You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies.” (Ps 23, 1.3-5). Jesus wanted to rest together with his disciples, but the desire to respond to the needs of the people impels him to leave rest aside. Something similar happens when he meets the Samaritan woman. The disciples went to get some food. When they returned they said to Jesus: “Master, eat something!” (Jn 4, 31), but he answers: “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (Jn 4, 32). The desire to respond to the needs of the Samaritan people leads him to forget his hunger. “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work” (Jn 4, 34). The first thing is to respond to the people who look for him. Then he can eat.
• Then Jesus began to teach them many things. The Gospel of Mark tells us many things that Jesus taught. The people were impressed: “A new teaching! He taught them with authority! It was unlike that of the Scribes!” (Mk 1, 22.27). Teaching was what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he usually did (Mk 10, 1). For other fifteen times Mark says that Jesus taught. Was it perhaps because Mark was not interested in the content? It depends on what people understand when they speak about content! To teach is not only a question of teaching new truths in order to say something. The content which Jesus gave did not only appear in his words, but also in his gestures and in his way of relating with persons. The content is never separated from the person who communicates it. Jesus was a welcoming person (Mk 6, 34). He wanted the good of the people. The goodness and the love which came from his words formed part of the content. They were his temperament. A good content, without goodness and kindness would be like milk poured on the floor. This new way which Jesus had of teaching manifested itself in a thousand ways. Jesus accepts as disciples not only men, but also women. He does not only teach in the synagogue, but also in any place where there were people to listen to him: in the synagogue, in the house, on the shore, on the mountain, on the plain, in the boat, in the desert. It was not the relationship of pupil-teacher, but of disciple to Master. The professor teaches and the pupil is with him during the time of the class. The Master gives witness and the disciple lives with him 24 hours a day. It is more difficult to be a Master than a teacher! We are not pupils of Jesus, we are his disciples! The teaching of Jesus was a communication that came from the abundance of his Heart in the most varied forms: like a conversation by which he tries to clarify the facts (Mk 9, 9-13), like a comparison or parable that invites people to think and to participate (Mk 4, 33), like an explanation of what he himself thought and did (Mk 7, 17-23), like a discussion which does not necessarily avoid polemics (Mk 2, 6-12), like a criticism that denounces what is false and mistaken (Mk 12, 38-40). It was always a witness of what he himself lived, an expression of his love! (Mt 11, 28-30).
• The Gospel today is in great contrast with that of yesterday. On one side, the banquet of death, wanted by Herod with the great of his kingdom in the Palace of the Capital, during which John the Baptist was murdered, (Mk 6, 17-29); on the other side, the banquet of life promoted by Jesus with the hungry people of Galilee, in the desert (Mk 6, 30-44).The Gospel today presents only the introduction of the multiplication of the loaves and describes the teaching of Jesus.
• Mark 6, 30-32. The welcome given to the disciples. “At that time, the Apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them: “Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while”. These verses show how Jesus formed his disciples. He was not concerned only about the content of the preaching, but also of rest for the disciples. He invited them to go to a lonely place so as to be able to rest and review what they had done.
• Mark 6, 33-34. The welcome given to the people. The people perceive that Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake, and they followed him trying to go to him by foot, to the other shore. “So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd, and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he set himself to teach them at some length”. Seeing that crowd Jesus was sad, “because they were like sheep without a shepherd”. He forgets his rest and begins to teach them. In becoming aware that the people have no shepherd, Jesus began to be their shepherd. He begins to teach them. As the Psalm says: “The Lord is my Shepherd! I lack nothing. In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me. You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies.” (Ps 23, 1.3-5). Jesus wanted to rest together with his disciples, but the desire to respond to the needs of the people impels him to leave rest aside. Something similar happens when he meets the Samaritan woman. The disciples went to get some food. When they returned they said to Jesus: “Master, eat something!” (Jn 4, 31), but he answers: “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (Jn 4, 32). The desire to respond to the needs of the Samaritan people leads him to forget his hunger. “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work” (Jn 4, 34). The first thing is to respond to the people who look for him. Then he can eat.
• Then Jesus began to teach them many things. The Gospel of Mark tells us many things that Jesus taught. The people were impressed: “A new teaching! He taught them with authority! It was unlike that of the Scribes!” (Mk 1, 22.27). Teaching was what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he usually did (Mk 10, 1). For other fifteen times Mark says that Jesus taught. Was it perhaps because Mark was not interested in the content? It depends on what people understand when they speak about content! To teach is not only a question of teaching new truths in order to say something. The content which Jesus gave did not only appear in his words, but also in his gestures and in his way of relating with persons. The content is never separated from the person who communicates it. Jesus was a welcoming person (Mk 6, 34). He wanted the good of the people. The goodness and the love which came from his words formed part of the content. They were his temperament. A good content, without goodness and kindness would be like milk poured on the floor. This new way which Jesus had of teaching manifested itself in a thousand ways. Jesus accepts as disciples not only men, but also women. He does not only teach in the synagogue, but also in any place where there were people to listen to him: in the synagogue, in the house, on the shore, on the mountain, on the plain, in the boat, in the desert. It was not the relationship of pupil-teacher, but of disciple to Master. The professor teaches and the pupil is with him during the time of the class. The Master gives witness and the disciple lives with him 24 hours a day. It is more difficult to be a Master than a teacher! We are not pupils of Jesus, we are his disciples! The teaching of Jesus was a communication that came from the abundance of his Heart in the most varied forms: like a conversation by which he tries to clarify the facts (Mk 9, 9-13), like a comparison or parable that invites people to think and to participate (Mk 4, 33), like an explanation of what he himself thought and did (Mk 7, 17-23), like a discussion which does not necessarily avoid polemics (Mk 2, 6-12), like a criticism that denounces what is false and mistaken (Mk 12, 38-40). It was always a witness of what he himself lived, an expression of his love! (Mt 11, 28-30).
4) Personal questions
• What do you do when you want to teach others something about your faith and of your religion? Do you imitate Jesus?
• Jesus is concerned not only about the content, but also about rest. How was the teaching of religion that you received as a child? Did the catechists imitate Jesus?
• What do you do when you want to teach others something about your faith and of your religion? Do you imitate Jesus?
• Jesus is concerned not only about the content, but also about rest. How was the teaching of religion that you received as a child? Did the catechists imitate Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
How can a young man keep his way spotless?
By keeping your words.
With all my heart I seek you,
do not let me stray from your commandments. (Ps 119,9-10)
How can a young man keep his way spotless?
By keeping your words.
With all my heart I seek you,
do not let me stray from your commandments. (Ps 119,9-10)
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