Daily Retreat 02/05/07
2007 Feb 5 Mon: Agatha, v, mt M
Gn 1: 1-19/ Ps 103(104): 1-2a. 5-6. 10 and 12. 24 and 35c/ Mk 6: 53-56
From today’s readings: “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth..... May the Lord be glad in His works..... Whatever villages or towns or countryside He entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on His cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”
Touching Tassels
Those who follow the daily lectionary readings sequentially in the Bible will note that several verses (35-52) were skipped between Saturday’s and today’s Gospel passages. This happens, not because those verses (recounting the Feeding of the Five Thousand and Jesus Walking on Water) are unimportant, but only to avoid repetition, since they had already been slotted in the lectionary for certain daily readings immediately after Epiphany. But that needn’t stop us from reading those verses!
In the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the disciples reacted to the pressures of time, people, and hunger by selfishly recommending to Jesus that He leave the people to their own devices (Mark 6,36). But after the multiplication of the loaves, as Jesus sends His disciples to Bethsaida, the scary crossing provides those same disciples with a sobering reminder of what happens when they are left to their own devices - something for you and me to remember as well!
Then, after landing at Gennesaret, Jesus is once again besieged by people rushing to Him from all sides, following His travels and particularly looking to Him for healing. Too often, instead of rushing to Jesus and making the necessary effort to follow His leads, you and I and others drag our feet and complain about how far we need to go to get to Him, forgetting how blessed we are to have even just His tassels within reach for our salvation!
Gn 1: 1-19/ Ps 103(104): 1-2a. 5-6. 10 and 12. 24 and 35c/ Mk 6: 53-56
From today’s readings: “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth..... May the Lord be glad in His works..... Whatever villages or towns or countryside He entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on His cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”
Touching Tassels
Those who follow the daily lectionary readings sequentially in the Bible will note that several verses (35-52) were skipped between Saturday’s and today’s Gospel passages. This happens, not because those verses (recounting the Feeding of the Five Thousand and Jesus Walking on Water) are unimportant, but only to avoid repetition, since they had already been slotted in the lectionary for certain daily readings immediately after Epiphany. But that needn’t stop us from reading those verses!
In the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the disciples reacted to the pressures of time, people, and hunger by selfishly recommending to Jesus that He leave the people to their own devices (Mark 6,36). But after the multiplication of the loaves, as Jesus sends His disciples to Bethsaida, the scary crossing provides those same disciples with a sobering reminder of what happens when they are left to their own devices - something for you and me to remember as well!
Then, after landing at Gennesaret, Jesus is once again besieged by people rushing to Him from all sides, following His travels and particularly looking to Him for healing. Too often, instead of rushing to Jesus and making the necessary effort to follow His leads, you and I and others drag our feet and complain about how far we need to go to get to Him, forgetting how blessed we are to have even just His tassels within reach for our salvation!
posted by FrPitstick | 1/29/2007
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