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.”
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.’”
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.
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.
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
Psalm51:12-13, 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)
FEBRUARY,
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Carter G. Woodson, (1875-1950) noted Black scholar and historian and son of former slaves, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, which was later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He initiated Black History Week, February 12, 1926. For many years the 2nd week of February (chosen so as to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln) was celebrated by Black people in the United States. In 1976, as part of the nation's Bicentennial, it was expanded and became established as Black History Month, and is now celebrated all over North America.
Venerable Henriette Delille, Foundress of the Sisters of the
Holy Family
Henriette Delille is the first U.S. native born African American whose cause for canonization has been officially opened by the Catholic Church. She was born in New Orleans in 1812, a free woman of color. By 1836, she had inspired a small band of women to assist the sick and dying and to catechize the uninstructed among her people. The Sisters of the Holy Family trace their official origin to 1842. By 1851, Henriette had personally purchased a home where these women could live in community and further their ministry. At her death in 1862, Henriette Delille was known as one "who for the love of Jesus Christ had made herself the humble servant of slaves." The simple prayer that guided her life was: "I believe in God. I hope in God. I love God. I want to live and die for God.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, MARK 4:35-41
Weekday
(2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 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. On the stormy sea of life, our boat will stay on course with the light of Christ to guide us.
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.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
Saturday 1 February 2020
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
‘Master, do you not care? We are lost.’
Create a clean heart in me, O God – Psalm 50(51):12-17
‘Master, do you not care? We are lost.’
All hell was breaking loose and Jesus slept through it all.
There is a familiar refrain here. In perhaps the most extreme example, Jewish
people ask: where was God during the Holocaust?
During WWII, in occupied France, the populace seemed cowed by
enemy forces. No-one took notice of young women cycling through villages. They
were often part of a resistance network led by Marie-Madeleine Fourcade called
Alliance. Three thousand people gathered and transmitted information crucial
for the Allied invasion of 1944. One third of them, mostly very young men and
women, were killed by the Nazis. Evil seemed to be winning, but good people
were prepared to put their lives on the line.
Saint Ansgar
Saint of the Day for February 1
(801 – February 3, 865)
Saint Ansgar’s Story
The “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations
to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where
he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a
convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work,
without noticeable success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he
went there, suffering capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Fewer
than two years later, he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey)
and bishop of Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions.
Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13
years’ work in Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading
Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism.
He directed new apostolic activities in the North, traveling to
Denmark and being instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the
strange device of casting lots, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian
missionaries to return.
Ansgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary
preacher, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the
sick, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He
died peacefully at Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr.
Sweden became pagan again after his death, and remained so until
the coming of missionaries two centuries later.
Reflection
History records what people do, rather than what they are. Yet
the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a
solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary.
Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines.
Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first
concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves.
Saint Ansgar is the Patron Saint of:
Denmark
Lectio Divina: Mark 4:35-41
Lectio Divina
Saturday, February 1, 2020
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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