Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 336
Lectionary: 336
When the LORD saw
how great was man’s wickedness on earth,
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.
So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.
As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.
So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.
As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
Responsorial PsalmPS 29:1A AND 2, 3AC-4, 3B AND 9C-10
R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
AlleluiaJN 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 8:14-21
The disciples had
forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Meditation: "Beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and Herod"
What do you do when you come to the end of your
resources - when you feel inadequate, shorthanded, or empty? Do you wring your
hands, complain, fret, and give in to worry, fear, and despair? Mark tells us
that the apostles set off in their boat across the Sea of Galilee only to
discover that they forgot to bring enough food for their journey. What were
they to do miles away from land and any place where they could buy food and
supplies? They were anxious of course, and this was right after Jesus had
performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes where the
disciples fed more than four thousand people (Mark 8:1-9). Jesus knew the
trouble in his disciples' hearts even before they could speak. Jesus dealt with
their anxiety by first warning them to not fear what can harm the body rather
than what can destroy the very heart and soul of their being.
Jesus cautioned the disciples to beware of the
bread that corrupts and leads to death, such as the leaven of the
Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Our "daily bread" is whatever
nourishes us, not just physically, but spiritually, intellectually, and morally
as well. Why did Jesus tell his disciples to beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and of Herod? To the Jew leaven was a sign of evil. It was a piece of
dough left-over from a previous baking. In due course it fermented and this
fermented dough became leaven. Fermentation was associated with decomposing
rot. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid the evil influence of the Pharisees
and of Herod who sought their own counsels rather than the will of God.
As the apostles continued to worry about their
lack of bread, Jesus reminded them of his miraculous provision of bread in the
feeding of the four thousand. He then upbraided them for their lack of trust in
God. Do you not yet understand? It's easy to get preoccupied
with the problems and needs of the present moment and to forget the most
important reality of all - God's abiding presence with us and his abundant
provision for our lives as well. Do you pray with joyful confidence, Father,
give us this day our daily bread?
"Lord Jesus, you alone can sustain me with
your life-giving Word and Spirit. Give me joy and strength to serve you always
and help me to turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness which brings
corruption and death."
 Having a Memory for God |
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February 17, 2015.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
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Mark 8: 14-21
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any
bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned
them, saying, "Watch out--beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the
yeast of Herod." They said to one another, "It is because we have
no bread." And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why are
you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand?
Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears,
and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for
the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you
collect?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for
the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you
collect?" And they said to him, "Seven." Then he said to them,
"Do you not yet understand?"
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I know you have worked in my
life, and yet I take so little account of it. Just knowing the truth of your
presence in my past would be enough to convert my heart totally to a future
of commitment to you. Knowing your history will make me long for you. I
hunger for goodness that will make this day fruitful in ways that will last,
that will not deceive me. I intend to not let my mundane passions leave me
blind and crippled before the opportunity to be your apostle today.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to commit myself more to your
will through a deeper trust in you.
1. Missing the Foundation:“Is it because we have no bread?” We can see
how easy it is to miss the messages God wishes to send us in prayer, because
we are preoccupied only with what is immediate. We can be hungry for success,
want a friend or family member to make peace with us, or we become obsessed
over the finances. The insecure heart is pulled away from a healthy vision of
life because it is not founded on rock. The soul that lives from the true
foundation knows that as long as it has Christ and is doing his will, all is
well.
2. Remembering the Works of God: “And do you not remember?” One of the worst
sins of the people of Israel was to have forgotten God’s great works on their
behalf. It is important to reflect often and with gratitude on the many
benefits we have received from Our Lord. Each of us should remember: It is
God who created us and who has begun the work of our holiness. If he has
brought us this far with only a modest amount of cooperation on our part, how
much further could we go if we were to give him our total dedication? How
much more good would flourish in our lives? How many problems would find
God’s hand shaping them for our benefit?
3. Wishing to See Again:On any given day, every follower of Christ
should have a healthy mistrust of what he thinks is the absolute need for his
life. Oftentimes, a spiritual “detox” is in order to free us from becoming
obsessed over secondary goals. This detox is found in the school of prayer.
St. Augustine notes prayer is where we exercise desire, where we let our
heart purify itself from its distractions, and where we let affection and
devotion for the Beloved expand. The fire of divine love can heal many
divisions and complexes in our psychology, if we consistently open ourselves
up to it.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, keep me from that spiritual anorexia
that makes me lose the hunger for your presence in my life. I can let daily
pressures and disordered passions block my ability to love you as I should.
How I endanger myself; how I destroy my happiness in this world of illusion.
Free me, Jesus, from my own folly! Give me back the hunger to love you again,
as I promise never again to let myself be carried away by activism and pride.
Resolution: Today I will write down the things I
have been seeking that could take me away from Christ. I will honestly
renounce them in an attitude of holy indifference, wanting them only in as
much as Jesus wants them in my life.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, MARK 8:14-21
(Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10; Psalm 29)
(Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10; Psalm 29)
KEY VERSE: "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (v 15).
TO KNOW: Jesus and his disciples journeyed by boat to Bethsaida. On the way, the disciples realized that they had forgotten to bring enough provisions. Jesus used this as an opportunity to warn them about the corrupting influence of Herod and the Pharisees. Since yeast, or leaven, induced fermentation in bread dough, it was an apt symbol of the insidious effect of those who opposed Jesus. The disciples failed to understand him, and Jesus castigated them for being blind and deaf to his words and deeds. Did they not just witness the extraordinary multiplication of loaves? (Mk 6:34-44; 8:1-9). Those in power had missed the meaning of the miracle. Did his disciples miss it too?
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to understand your words and deeds.
TO SERVE: Do I influence others for good or evil?
Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the
Order of Servites, religious
Seven wealthy laymen in Florence felt a call to a deeper religious life, and on the Feast of the Assumption, 1233, they decided to form a new society devoted to prayer and solitude. As word of their holiness spread, they attracted would-be followers, and they withdrew to the hills around Monte Sennario where they built a church and hermitage. On Good Friday, 13 April 1240, the hermits received a vision of Our Lady. She held in her hand the black habit, and an angel carried a scroll reading Servants of Mary. They accepted the wisdom of Our Lady, wrote a Rule based on Saint Augustine and the Dominican Constitutions, adopted the black habit of an Augustinian monk, and lived as mendicant friars. The men became known as the Servites, and fostered the devotion known as the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Servites were solemnly approved by Blessed Pope Benedict XI in 1304, and have since spread around the world.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
* at the prophecy of Simeon;
* at the flight into Egypt;
* having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem;
* meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
* standing at the foot of the Cross;
* Jesus being taken from the Cross;
* at the burial of Christ.
MARDI GRAS -- The Feast before the Fast
"Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday." For Christians, Mardi Gras is the last day to indulge before Ash Wednesday, which starts the solemn weeks of fasting that come with Lent. Mardi Gras was formally known as Shrove Tuesday. The word "shrove" comes from "shrive," meaning "the confessions of sins" -- something done in preparation for Lent.
Mardi Gras is a traditional holiday celebrated in many of the southern states of the USA, the most famous which takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. People celebrate with parades and masquerade balls where they dress up in costumes. The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. In 1872 Rex, the King of Carnival, chose these colors to stand for the following: Purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
Tuesday 17 February 2015
Seven Founders of the
Servites.
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10. The Lord will bless his people with peace—Ps 28(29):1-4, 9-10. Mark 8:14-21.
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10. The Lord will bless his people with peace—Ps 28(29):1-4, 9-10. Mark 8:14-21.
Leaven, like yeast, ensures
the rising of bread: it is what gives it life and substance.
In today’s gospel, Jesus
alludes to the tendency of the Pharisees and Herod to contaminate those who
listen to them with false teaching and values. Like leaven, such false
teachings can spread and expand within the hearts of their audience.
Ultimately, these fail to provide sustenance but restrict our ability to find
life and give life to others.
In contrast, the bread
Jesus gives is the fullness of life. As with the miracle of the loaves and
fish, the leaven of God leads to an abundance of life that not only satisfies
but overflows in bountifulness. The image of scraps being collected reminds us
that nothing God gives is wasted.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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My True Identity
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By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am
a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I
belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus. –Mother Teresa of Calcutta
February
17
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
(13th century)
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
(13th century)
Can you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or Denver banding
together, leaving their homes and professions, and going into solitude for a
life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and
prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was
torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari, who believed
that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed
meaningless.
In 1240
seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a
solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty
was providing for their dependents, since two were still married and two were
widowers.
Their aim
was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves
disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. They next withdrew to the
deserted slopes of Monte Senario.
In 1244,
under the direction of St. Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a
religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the Rule
of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order
took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older monastic
Orders.
Members
of the community came to the United States from Austria in 1852 and settled in
New York and later in Philadelphia. The two American provinces developed from
the foundation made by Father Austin Morini in 1870 in Wisconsin.
Community
members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led
a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged
in parochial work, teaching, preaching and other ministerial activities.
Comment:
The time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Dickens once wrote. Some, perhaps many, feel called to a countercultural life, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.
The time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Dickens once wrote. Some, perhaps many, feel called to a countercultural life, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.
Quote:
“Let all religious therefore spread throughout the whole world the good news of Christ by the integrity of their faith, their love for God and neighbor, their devotion to the Cross and their hope of future glory.... Thus, too, with the prayerful aid of that most loving Virgin Mary, God’s Mother, ‘Whose life is a rule of life for all,’ religious communities will experience a daily growth in number, and will yield a richer harvest of fruits that bring salvation” (Vatican II, Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life, 25).
“Let all religious therefore spread throughout the whole world the good news of Christ by the integrity of their faith, their love for God and neighbor, their devotion to the Cross and their hope of future glory.... Thus, too, with the prayerful aid of that most loving Virgin Mary, God’s Mother, ‘Whose life is a rule of life for all,’ religious communities will experience a daily growth in number, and will yield a richer harvest of fruits that bring salvation” (Vatican II, Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life, 25).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 8,14-21
Lectio:
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
when we do not see clear in life,
when suffering comes our way,
we tend to blame you or people.
Help us to realize clearly
how much of the evil around us
comes from within ourselves,
from our greed for riches and power,
from our self-complacency and selfishness.
Speak to us your word of forgiveness
and change us from a silent majority of evil
into solidarity of love,
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,14-21
The disciples had forgotten to take any bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, 'Keep your eyes open; look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.'
And they said to one another, 'It is because we have no bread.' And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, 'Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand, still not realise? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' They answered, 'Twelve.' 'And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' And they answered, 'Seven.' Then he said to them, 'Do you still not realise?'
3) Reflection
• Yesterday’s Gospel spoke of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the Pharisees. Today’s Gospel speaks of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the disciples and shows that the “yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod” (religion and government), had, in such a way, taken possession of the mentality of the disciples to the point of hindering them from listening to the Good News.
• Mark 8, 14-16: Attention to the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus warns the disciples: “Look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod”. But they did not understand the words of Jesus. They thought that he spoke like that because they had forgotten to buy bread. Jesus says one thing and they understood another. This ‘clash’ was the result of the insidious influence of the “yeast of the Pharisees” in the mentality and in the life of the disciples.
• Mark 8, 17-18a: The question of Jesus. In the face of this almost total lack of perception in the disciples, Jesus rapidly asks them a series of questions, without waiting for an answer. Hard questions which express very serious things and reveal the total lack of understanding on the part of the disciples. Even if it seems unbelievable, the disciples reached the point in which there was no difference between them and the enemies of Jesus. First Jesus had become sad seeing the “hardness of heart” of the Pharisees and of the Herodians (Mk 3, 5). Now, the disciples themselves have “hardened their heart” (Mk 8, 17). First, “those outside” (Mk 4, 11) did not understand the parables because “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” (Mk 4, 12). Now, the disciples themselves understand nothing, because “they have eyes and do not see, listen, but do not understand” (Mk 8, 18). Besides, the image of the “hardened heart” evoked the hardness of heart of the people of the Old Testament who always drifted away from the path. It also evoked the hardened heart of Pharaoh who oppressed and persecuted the people (Ex 4, 21; 7, 13; 8, 11.15.28; 9, 7…). The expression “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” evoked not only the people without faith criticized by Isaiah (Is 6, 9-10), but also the adorers of false gods, of whom the Psalm says: “they have eyes and see nothing, have ears and hear nothing” (Ps 115, 5-6).
• Mark 8, 18b-21: The two questions regarding the bread. The two final questions refer to the multiplication of the loaves: How many baskets did they gather the first time? Twelve! And the second? Seven! Like the Pharisees, the disciples also, in spite that they had collaborated actively in the multiplication of the loaves, did not succeed in understanding the meaning. Jesus ends by saying: “Do you still not understand?” The way in which Jesus asks these questions, one after the other, almost without waiting for an answer, seems to cut the conversation. It reveals a very big clash. Which is the cause for this clash?
• The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples. The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples was not due to ill will on their part. The disciples were not like the Pharisees. They also did not understand, but in them there was malice. They used religion to criticize and to condemn Jesus (Mk 2, 7.16.18.24; 3, 5. 22-30). The disciples were good people. Theirs was not ill will. Because even if they were victims of the “yeast of the Pharisees and of the Herodians”, they were not interested in defending the system of the Pharisees and the Herodians against Jesus. Then, which was the cause? The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples had something to do with the Messianic hope. Among the Jews there was an enormous variety of Messianic expectations. Secondly, the diverse interpretations of the prophecies, there were people who expected a Messiah King (cfr. Mk 15, 9.32). Others, a Messiah, Saint or Priest (cfr. Mk 1, 24). Others, a Messiah, a subversive Warrior (cfr. Lk 23, 5; Mk 15, 6; 13, 6-8). Others, a Messiah, Doctor (cfr. Jn 4, 25; Mk 1, 22-27). Others, a Messiah, Judge (cfr. Lk 3, 5-9; Mk 1, 8). Others, a Messiah, Prophet (6, 4; 14, 65). It seems that nobody expected a Messiah, Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (Is 42, 1; 49, 3; 52, 13). They did not expect to consider the messianic hope as a service of the people of God to humanity. Each one according to their own interests and according to their social class, expected the Messiah, but wanting to reduce him to their own hope. This is why the title Messiah, according to the person or social position, could mean very different things. There was a great confusion of ideas! And precisely in this attitude of Servant is found the key which turns on a light in the darkness of the disciples and helps them to convert themselves. It is only in accepting the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, that they will be capable to open the eyes and to understand the Mystery of God in Jesus.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Which is for us today the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod? What does it mean today for me to have a “hardened heart?
• The yeast of Herod and the Pharisees prevents the disciples to understand the Good News. Perhaps, today the propaganda of the Television prevents us from understanding the Good News of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
I need only say, 'I am slipping,'
for your faithful love, Yahweh, to support me;
however great the anxiety of my heart,
your consolations soothe me. (Ps 94,18-19)
Lord our God,
when we do not see clear in life,
when suffering comes our way,
we tend to blame you or people.
Help us to realize clearly
how much of the evil around us
comes from within ourselves,
from our greed for riches and power,
from our self-complacency and selfishness.
Speak to us your word of forgiveness
and change us from a silent majority of evil
into solidarity of love,
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,14-21
The disciples had forgotten to take any bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, 'Keep your eyes open; look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.'
And they said to one another, 'It is because we have no bread.' And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, 'Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand, still not realise? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' They answered, 'Twelve.' 'And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' And they answered, 'Seven.' Then he said to them, 'Do you still not realise?'
3) Reflection
• Yesterday’s Gospel spoke of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the Pharisees. Today’s Gospel speaks of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the disciples and shows that the “yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod” (religion and government), had, in such a way, taken possession of the mentality of the disciples to the point of hindering them from listening to the Good News.
• Mark 8, 14-16: Attention to the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus warns the disciples: “Look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod”. But they did not understand the words of Jesus. They thought that he spoke like that because they had forgotten to buy bread. Jesus says one thing and they understood another. This ‘clash’ was the result of the insidious influence of the “yeast of the Pharisees” in the mentality and in the life of the disciples.
• Mark 8, 17-18a: The question of Jesus. In the face of this almost total lack of perception in the disciples, Jesus rapidly asks them a series of questions, without waiting for an answer. Hard questions which express very serious things and reveal the total lack of understanding on the part of the disciples. Even if it seems unbelievable, the disciples reached the point in which there was no difference between them and the enemies of Jesus. First Jesus had become sad seeing the “hardness of heart” of the Pharisees and of the Herodians (Mk 3, 5). Now, the disciples themselves have “hardened their heart” (Mk 8, 17). First, “those outside” (Mk 4, 11) did not understand the parables because “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” (Mk 4, 12). Now, the disciples themselves understand nothing, because “they have eyes and do not see, listen, but do not understand” (Mk 8, 18). Besides, the image of the “hardened heart” evoked the hardness of heart of the people of the Old Testament who always drifted away from the path. It also evoked the hardened heart of Pharaoh who oppressed and persecuted the people (Ex 4, 21; 7, 13; 8, 11.15.28; 9, 7…). The expression “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” evoked not only the people without faith criticized by Isaiah (Is 6, 9-10), but also the adorers of false gods, of whom the Psalm says: “they have eyes and see nothing, have ears and hear nothing” (Ps 115, 5-6).
• Mark 8, 18b-21: The two questions regarding the bread. The two final questions refer to the multiplication of the loaves: How many baskets did they gather the first time? Twelve! And the second? Seven! Like the Pharisees, the disciples also, in spite that they had collaborated actively in the multiplication of the loaves, did not succeed in understanding the meaning. Jesus ends by saying: “Do you still not understand?” The way in which Jesus asks these questions, one after the other, almost without waiting for an answer, seems to cut the conversation. It reveals a very big clash. Which is the cause for this clash?
• The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples. The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples was not due to ill will on their part. The disciples were not like the Pharisees. They also did not understand, but in them there was malice. They used religion to criticize and to condemn Jesus (Mk 2, 7.16.18.24; 3, 5. 22-30). The disciples were good people. Theirs was not ill will. Because even if they were victims of the “yeast of the Pharisees and of the Herodians”, they were not interested in defending the system of the Pharisees and the Herodians against Jesus. Then, which was the cause? The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples had something to do with the Messianic hope. Among the Jews there was an enormous variety of Messianic expectations. Secondly, the diverse interpretations of the prophecies, there were people who expected a Messiah King (cfr. Mk 15, 9.32). Others, a Messiah, Saint or Priest (cfr. Mk 1, 24). Others, a Messiah, a subversive Warrior (cfr. Lk 23, 5; Mk 15, 6; 13, 6-8). Others, a Messiah, Doctor (cfr. Jn 4, 25; Mk 1, 22-27). Others, a Messiah, Judge (cfr. Lk 3, 5-9; Mk 1, 8). Others, a Messiah, Prophet (6, 4; 14, 65). It seems that nobody expected a Messiah, Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (Is 42, 1; 49, 3; 52, 13). They did not expect to consider the messianic hope as a service of the people of God to humanity. Each one according to their own interests and according to their social class, expected the Messiah, but wanting to reduce him to their own hope. This is why the title Messiah, according to the person or social position, could mean very different things. There was a great confusion of ideas! And precisely in this attitude of Servant is found the key which turns on a light in the darkness of the disciples and helps them to convert themselves. It is only in accepting the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, that they will be capable to open the eyes and to understand the Mystery of God in Jesus.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Which is for us today the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod? What does it mean today for me to have a “hardened heart?
• The yeast of Herod and the Pharisees prevents the disciples to understand the Good News. Perhaps, today the propaganda of the Television prevents us from understanding the Good News of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
I need only say, 'I am slipping,'
for your faithful love, Yahweh, to support me;
however great the anxiety of my heart,
your consolations soothe me. (Ps 94,18-19)
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