Daily Retreat 02/24/09
2009 Feb 24 Tue: Ordinary Weekday
Sir 2: 1-11/ Ps 36(37): 3-4. 18-19. 27-28. 39-40/ Mk 9: 30-37
From today’s readings: “My son, when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials.... Commit your life to the Lord, and He will help you.... If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”
Questions, questions
As has been mentioned, the Gospel of Mark has a simple structure: in answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?”, the first half of the Gospel, focusing on the Lord’s initial instructions to His disciples and His ministry in Galilee, leads up to Peter’s climatic confession of faith, “You are the Christ!” (Mark 8:29). This takes place at Caesarea Philippi, which, significantly, is the northernmost locality of the Lord’s travels mentioned in Mark’s Gospel.
From that point on, Jesus starts teaching His apostles more specifically about His messianic mission to suffer and die, and so the Lord begins His deliberate journey south to Jerusalem. This part of the Gospel is punctuated with three very specific predictions by Jesus of His impending Passion and Resurrection: Mark 8:31, 9:31; 10:33-34.
The second prediction, highlighted in today’s Gospel passage, is the shortest of the three, and seems to hint at a particularly low point in the disciples’ sense of discipleship: they did not understand what Jesus was talking about, and not only were they afraid to question Him, but then when Jesus questioned them, they were afraid to answer!
To be sure, the teaching of Jesus about Christian discipleship is indeed demanding, and difficult to understand perfectly. But when we find ourselves struggling with our own call to follow Christ and live His Gospel, you and I need to specifically turn to Jesus and His Gospel for answers to our questions and misunderstandings; and, furthermore, you and I need to be open, honest, and committed to the necessary soul-searching on our own parts to answer His questions to us!
Sir 2: 1-11/ Ps 36(37): 3-4. 18-19. 27-28. 39-40/ Mk 9: 30-37
From today’s readings: “My son, when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials.... Commit your life to the Lord, and He will help you.... If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”
Questions, questions
As has been mentioned, the Gospel of Mark has a simple structure: in answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?”, the first half of the Gospel, focusing on the Lord’s initial instructions to His disciples and His ministry in Galilee, leads up to Peter’s climatic confession of faith, “You are the Christ!” (Mark 8:29). This takes place at Caesarea Philippi, which, significantly, is the northernmost locality of the Lord’s travels mentioned in Mark’s Gospel.
From that point on, Jesus starts teaching His apostles more specifically about His messianic mission to suffer and die, and so the Lord begins His deliberate journey south to Jerusalem. This part of the Gospel is punctuated with three very specific predictions by Jesus of His impending Passion and Resurrection: Mark 8:31, 9:31; 10:33-34.
The second prediction, highlighted in today’s Gospel passage, is the shortest of the three, and seems to hint at a particularly low point in the disciples’ sense of discipleship: they did not understand what Jesus was talking about, and not only were they afraid to question Him, but then when Jesus questioned them, they were afraid to answer!
To be sure, the teaching of Jesus about Christian discipleship is indeed demanding, and difficult to understand perfectly. But when we find ourselves struggling with our own call to follow Christ and live His Gospel, you and I need to specifically turn to Jesus and His Gospel for answers to our questions and misunderstandings; and, furthermore, you and I need to be open, honest, and committed to the necessary soul-searching on our own parts to answer His questions to us!
posted by FrPitstick | 2/23/2009
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