Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 322
Lectionary: 322
The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,
Nathan said: "Judge this case for me!
In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.
But the poor man had nothing at all
except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.
He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.
She shared the little food he had
and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.
She was like a daughter to him.
Now, the rich man received a visitor,
but he would not take from his own flocks and herds
to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him.
Instead he took the poor man's ewe lamb
and made a meal of it for his visitor."
David grew very angry with that man and said to him:
"As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!
He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold
because he has done this and has had no pity."
Then Nathan said to David: "You are the man!
Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
'The sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.'
Thus says the LORD:
'I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.
I will take your wives while you live to see it,
and will give them to your neighbor.
He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.
You have done this deed in secret,
but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel,
and with the sun looking down.'"
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan answered David: "The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.
But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed,
the child born to you must surely die."
Then Nathan returned to his house.
The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David,
and it became desperately ill.
David besought God for the child.
He kept a fast, retiring for the night
to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
The elders of his house stood beside him
urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not,
nor would he take food with them.
Nathan said: "Judge this case for me!
In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.
But the poor man had nothing at all
except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.
He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.
She shared the little food he had
and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.
She was like a daughter to him.
Now, the rich man received a visitor,
but he would not take from his own flocks and herds
to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him.
Instead he took the poor man's ewe lamb
and made a meal of it for his visitor."
David grew very angry with that man and said to him:
"As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!
He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold
because he has done this and has had no pity."
Then Nathan said to David: "You are the man!
Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
'The sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.'
Thus says the LORD:
'I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.
I will take your wives while you live to see it,
and will give them to your neighbor.
He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.
You have done this deed in secret,
but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel,
and with the sun looking down.'"
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan answered David: "The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.
But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed,
the child born to you must surely die."
Then Nathan returned to his house.
The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David,
and it became desperately ill.
David besought God for the child.
He kept a fast, retiring for the night
to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
The elders of his house stood beside him
urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not,
nor would he take food with them.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (12a) Create
a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
AlleluiaJN 3:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
"Let us cross to the other side."
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
"Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
He woke up,
rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!"
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?"
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
"Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
"Let us cross to the other side."
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
"Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
He woke up,
rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!"
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?"
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
"Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
Meditation: "Why are you afraid?"
How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus' sleeping
presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples.
They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in
the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour
of need. The Lord Jesus is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he
asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Do
you recognize the Lord's presence with you, especially when you meet the storms
of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord
is there with the same reassuring message: "It is I, do not be
afraid."
Faith must be nourished with the Word of God
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God.
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God.
Christ's love and truth strengthen us in faith and
trust
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God's word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God's promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God's word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God's promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?
"Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming
love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. And
give me courage to do your will in all circumstances."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Awakening the Christ asleep within you, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you
are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed
by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in
danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing
yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it
another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep
in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him,
then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A
temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the
sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words:
'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3)
SATURDAY,
JANUARY 27, MARK 4:35-41
Weekday
(2 Samuel 1-7a, 10-17; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 1-7a, 10-17; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" (v 40).
TO KNOW: Mark's gospel shows the difficulty that Jesus' disciples had in understanding his true identity. Jesus had been teaching them by means of parables (4:1-34). Now he taught them with a parable in action. Fatigued by a long day of teaching, Jesus took his disciples in a boat across the lake to rest. While Jesus sought a moment of sleep in the stern of the boat (where the steersman sat), a storm suddenly arose and threatened to capsize the craft. The disciples cried out in terror, chastising Jesus for seeming to be unconcerned for their safety. Jesus demonstrated his power over the elements. With the same authority that God used in creation when a "mighty wind swept over the waters" (Gn 1:2), Jesus spoke a word of command and the wind and the sea became tranquil. Jesus then calmed the fear in his disciples’ hearts and they were in awe of him whom the wind and the seas obeyed.
TO LOVE: Do I speak God's peace to a troubled world?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to know you are present in all the storms of my life.
Memorial of
Saint Angela Merici, virgin
Angela Merici was born in Desenzano, Italy, around 1474. Living most of her life in Brescia, a city in northern Italy, Angela became well known for her ministry of service to the marginalized, the displaced, the poor, the orphaned and the sick. She saw women as agents of change in a world longing for love and harmony. While still in her teens, Angela received a vision instructing her to form a “company of women” to further the work of God. On November 25, 1535, Angela and 28 young women formed the Company of Saint Ursula. Members lived in their own homes or with one or two other members of the Company. They were to be women of prayer and virtue with a simple rule and spiritual leaders to whom they would be accountable and who would strengthen and direct them. After Angela’s death on January 27, 1540, the Company of Saint Ursula spread rapidly. Ursuline communities were established quickly in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Canada and the United States. Today, thousands of Ursuline Sisters work to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ on six continents. Canonized in 1807 by Pope Pius VII, her body remains incorrupt.
Saturday 27
January 2018
Ss Timothy and Titus, St Angela Merici.
2 Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17. Psalm 50(51):12-17. Mark 4:35-41.
Create a clean heart in me, O God—Psalm 50(51):12-17.
‘Faith doesn’t have all of the answers.’
I can relate to the disciples in today’s reading.
They find themselves on a boat in the midst of a terrible storm,
and Jesus is asleep. They cry out to him in fear, and he challenges them in
their faith.
When I get on a plane, I feel trepidation. I’m afraid of
turbulence, and often find myself clutching a crucifix when flying.
Yet these moments of anxiety can be the source of my most
fervent prayer. The elevated heart rate and sweaty palms often lead to closed
eyes, clenched teeth, and also remarkable concentration.
I realise in those moments that while I have faith, I don’t have
all of the answers.
We don’t understand the entire Gospel message, but nor did the
Disciples on the boat that day, and they were with Jesus every day.
And so, it is at times of fear, when the storm clouds well up
that perhaps we might call out
in prayer, saying,
‘Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?’
Saint Angela Merici
Saint of the Day for January 27
(March 21, 1474 – January 27, 1540)
Saint Angela Merici’s story
Angela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching
congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular
institute” of religious women.
As a young woman, she became a member of the Third Order of
Saint Francis, and lived a life of great austerity, wishing, like
Saint Francis, to own nothing, not even a bed. Early in life she was
appalled at the ignorance among poorer children, whose parents could not or
would not teach them the elements of religion. Angela’s charming manner and
good looks complemented her natural qualities of leadership. Others joined her
in giving regular instruction to the little girls of their neighborhood.
She was invited to live with a family in Brescia (where, she had
been told in a vision, she would one day found a religious community). Her work
continued and became well known. She became the center of a group of people
with similar ideals.
She eagerly took the opportunity for a trip to the Holy Land.
When they had gotten as far as Crete, she was struck with blindness. Her
friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going through with the
pilgrimage, and visited the sacred shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm
as if she had her sight. On the way back, while praying before a crucifix, her
sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost.
At 57, she organized a group of 12 girls to help her in
catechetical work. Four years later the group had increased to 28. She formed
them into the Company of Saint Ursula (patroness of medieval universities
and venerated as a leader of women) for the purpose of re-Christianizing family
life through solid Christian education of future wives and mothers. The members
continued to live at home, had no special habit and took no formal vows, though
the early Rule prescribed the practice of virginity, poverty, and obedience.
The idea of a teaching congregation of women was new and took time to develop.
The community thus existed as a “secular institute” until some years after
Angela’s death.
Reflection
As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their
activities. But we must always presume deep Christian faith and love in one
whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need
demands.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 4,35-41
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
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.
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
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 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus
said to his disciples: "Let us cross to the other side." Leaving the
crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats
were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are
perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,
"Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he
asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" They
were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom
even wind and sea obey?"
3) Reflection
• The Gospel describes the storm on the
lake and Jesus who sleeps in the boat. Sometimes our communities feel like a
small boat lost in the sea of life, without much hope of arriving at the port.
Jesus seems to be sleeping in our boat, since no divine power seems to appear
to save us from difficulties and persecution. In view of this desperate
situation, Mark puts together several episodes which reveal how Jesus is
present in the midst of the community. In these parables, the mystery of the
Kingdom is revealed, which is present in the things of daily life (Mk 4:1-34).
Now He begins to reveal the mystery of the Kingdom present in the power which
Jesus exercises in favor of the disciples, in favor of the people, and above
all, in favor of the excluded and marginalized. Jesus overcomes, dominates the
sea, a symbol of chaos (Mk 4:35-41) and something man cannot control by
himself. A creative power acts in Him! Jesus conquers and drives out the devil
(Mk 5:1-20). The power of life acts in Him! He is the victorious Jesus! There
is no reason for the communities to have fear (Mk 5:21-43). This is the reason
for this passage about the storm being calmed by Jesus, which we are meditating
on in today’s Gospel.
• Mark 4:35-36: The starting point: “Let us cross over to the other side”. It had been a heavy day with much work. Once the discourse on the parables was finished (Mk 4: 1-34), Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the other side!” They take Him on the boat just as He is in the boat in which He had made the discourse on the parables. Because He was extremely tired, He went to sleep in the stern with His head on a cushion. This is the first picture or image which Mark presents: a beautiful painting, but very human!
• Mark 4:35-36: The starting point: “Let us cross over to the other side”. It had been a heavy day with much work. Once the discourse on the parables was finished (Mk 4: 1-34), Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the other side!” They take Him on the boat just as He is in the boat in which He had made the discourse on the parables. Because He was extremely tired, He went to sleep in the stern with His head on a cushion. This is the first picture or image which Mark presents: a beautiful painting, but very human!
Jesus asks us to “cross
to the other side” too. He asks us to separate from the crowd who is
preoccupied with consumerism and gossip and earthly desires.
• Mark 4: 37-38: The desperate situation: “Do You not care? We are lost!” The Lake of Galilee is surrounded by mountains. Sometimes, through the cracks in the rocks, the wind blows on top of the lake and provokes sudden storms. The disciples were experienced fishermen. If they think that they are going to sink, then the situation is really dangerous. Jesus does not even wake up. He continues to sleep. This profound sleep is not only a sign of great fatigue, it is also the expression of a calm peaceful trust which He has in God. The contrast between the attitude of Jesus and that of the disciples is very great!
• Mark 4: 37-38: The desperate situation: “Do You not care? We are lost!” The Lake of Galilee is surrounded by mountains. Sometimes, through the cracks in the rocks, the wind blows on top of the lake and provokes sudden storms. The disciples were experienced fishermen. If they think that they are going to sink, then the situation is really dangerous. Jesus does not even wake up. He continues to sleep. This profound sleep is not only a sign of great fatigue, it is also the expression of a calm peaceful trust which He has in God. The contrast between the attitude of Jesus and that of the disciples is very great!
Today, mankind has a belief that it has
mastered everything, and when things go wrong, people blame God for not caring.
Faith provides the calm peaceful trust Jesus had rather than the anxiety that
the disciples had.
• Mark 4: 39-40: The reaction of Jesus: “Have you still no faith?” Jesus wakes up, not because of the waves, but because of the desperate cries of the disciples. First, He addresses Himself to the sea and says, “Quiet now!” And the wind dropped and there followed a great calm. Then He spoke to the disciples and said, “Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?” The impression that one has is that it is not necessary to calm down the sea, since there is no danger. It is like going to a house and seeing the dog at the side of his master, who begins to bark. One should not be afraid because the dog is with the master who controls the situation. The episode of the storm which was calmed recalls Exodus, when the people, without fear, passed through the water of the sea (Ex 14: 22). It recalls the Prophet Isaiah who told the people, “If you go across the water I will be with you!” (Is 43: 2) Jesus does the exodus again and carries out the prophecy announced by Psalm 107(106):25-30.
• Mark 4: 41: The disciples did not know. “Who can this be?” Jesus calms the sea and says, “Have you still have no faith?” The disciples do not know what to respond and they ask themselves, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey Him”. Jesus appears as a stranger to them! In spite of having been with Him for such a long time, they do not really know who He is. “Who can this be?” With this question in mind, the communities follow the reading of the Gospel. Even today, the same question leads us to continue reading the Gospel. It is the desire to better know the significance of Jesus in our life.
• Mark 4: 39-40: The reaction of Jesus: “Have you still no faith?” Jesus wakes up, not because of the waves, but because of the desperate cries of the disciples. First, He addresses Himself to the sea and says, “Quiet now!” And the wind dropped and there followed a great calm. Then He spoke to the disciples and said, “Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?” The impression that one has is that it is not necessary to calm down the sea, since there is no danger. It is like going to a house and seeing the dog at the side of his master, who begins to bark. One should not be afraid because the dog is with the master who controls the situation. The episode of the storm which was calmed recalls Exodus, when the people, without fear, passed through the water of the sea (Ex 14: 22). It recalls the Prophet Isaiah who told the people, “If you go across the water I will be with you!” (Is 43: 2) Jesus does the exodus again and carries out the prophecy announced by Psalm 107(106):25-30.
• Mark 4: 41: The disciples did not know. “Who can this be?” Jesus calms the sea and says, “Have you still have no faith?” The disciples do not know what to respond and they ask themselves, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey Him”. Jesus appears as a stranger to them! In spite of having been with Him for such a long time, they do not really know who He is. “Who can this be?” With this question in mind, the communities follow the reading of the Gospel. Even today, the same question leads us to continue reading the Gospel. It is the desire to better know the significance of Jesus in our life.
Knowing and trusting Jesus more moves us
from being like the disciples at this point. Greater faith brings greater peace
in the presence of storms in our life..
• Who is Jesus? Mark begins his Gospel saying, “The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). At the moment of His death, the soldier declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15:39). At the beginning and at the end of the Gospel, Jesus is called the Son of God. Between the beginning and the end, there are many other names of Jesus which appear. The following is the list: Messiah or Christ (Mk 1:1; 8:29; 14:61; 15:32); Lord (Mk 1:3; 5:19; 11:3); Beloved Son (Mk 1:11; 9:7); the Holy One of God (Mk 1:24); Nazarene (Mk 1:24; 10:47; 14:67; 16:6); Son of Man (Mk 2:10,28; 8:31,38; 9:9,12,31; 10:33,45; 13:26; 14:21,41,62); bridegroom (Mk2: 19); Son of God (Mk 3:11); Son of the Highest God (Mk 5:7); carpenter (Mk 6:3); Son of Mary (Mk 6:3); Prophet (Mk 6:4,15; 8:28); Teacher (frequent); Son of David (Mk 10:47-48; 12:35-37); Blessed (Mk 11:9); Son (Mk 13:32); Shepherd (Mk 14:27); Son of the Blessed One (Mk 14:61); King of the Jews (Mk 15:2,9,18,26); King of Israel (Mk 15:32),
Each name, title, or attribute is an attempt to express what Jesus signifies for people. But a name, no matter how beautiful it is, never reveals the mystery of a person, much less the person of Jesus. Some of these names given to Jesus, including the more important ones and the more traditional, are questioned by Mark the Evangelist as being satisfactory. Thus, as we advance in the reading of the Gospel, Mark obliges us to revise our ideas and to ask ourselves, once again, “In last instance, who is Jesus for me and for us?” The more we advance in the reading of the Gospel of Mark, the more these titles and criteria fall. Jesus does not fit into any one of these names, or schema, or titles. He is the greatest! Little by little, the reader gives up and ceases to want to frame Jesus in a known concept or in an idea made up beforehand, and accepts Him as He is presented.
• Who is Jesus? Mark begins his Gospel saying, “The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). At the moment of His death, the soldier declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15:39). At the beginning and at the end of the Gospel, Jesus is called the Son of God. Between the beginning and the end, there are many other names of Jesus which appear. The following is the list: Messiah or Christ (Mk 1:1; 8:29; 14:61; 15:32); Lord (Mk 1:3; 5:19; 11:3); Beloved Son (Mk 1:11; 9:7); the Holy One of God (Mk 1:24); Nazarene (Mk 1:24; 10:47; 14:67; 16:6); Son of Man (Mk 2:10,28; 8:31,38; 9:9,12,31; 10:33,45; 13:26; 14:21,41,62); bridegroom (Mk2: 19); Son of God (Mk 3:11); Son of the Highest God (Mk 5:7); carpenter (Mk 6:3); Son of Mary (Mk 6:3); Prophet (Mk 6:4,15; 8:28); Teacher (frequent); Son of David (Mk 10:47-48; 12:35-37); Blessed (Mk 11:9); Son (Mk 13:32); Shepherd (Mk 14:27); Son of the Blessed One (Mk 14:61); King of the Jews (Mk 15:2,9,18,26); King of Israel (Mk 15:32),
Each name, title, or attribute is an attempt to express what Jesus signifies for people. But a name, no matter how beautiful it is, never reveals the mystery of a person, much less the person of Jesus. Some of these names given to Jesus, including the more important ones and the more traditional, are questioned by Mark the Evangelist as being satisfactory. Thus, as we advance in the reading of the Gospel, Mark obliges us to revise our ideas and to ask ourselves, once again, “In last instance, who is Jesus for me and for us?” The more we advance in the reading of the Gospel of Mark, the more these titles and criteria fall. Jesus does not fit into any one of these names, or schema, or titles. He is the greatest! Little by little, the reader gives up and ceases to want to frame Jesus in a known concept or in an idea made up beforehand, and accepts Him as He is presented.
4) Personal questions
• Have the waters of the sea of life
threatened you sometimes? Who saved you?
• What was the agitated sea (of the community) at the time of Jesus? What was the agitated sea (for the community) at the time when Mark wrote his Gospel? What is the agitated sea for us today?
• What was the agitated sea (of the community) at the time of Jesus? What was the agitated sea (for the community) at the time when Mark wrote his Gospel? What is the agitated sea for us today?
5) Concluding prayer
God, create in me a clean heart,
renew within me a resolute spirit,
do not thrust me away from Your presence,
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness. (Ps 51:10-11)
renew within me a resolute spirit,
do not thrust me away from Your presence,
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness. (Ps 51:10-11)
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