Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Friday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Commentary:
Reading 1 Heb 8:6-13
We ended yesterday with a reminder that Jesus came as the new covenant, replacing the covenant and promises of Moses. Today Hebrews continues on this theme explaining why the new covenant is better. In language that sounds much like the Old Testament prophets, the fact that a new covenant was needed showed the old one to be flawed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
This song begins as a plea for mercy and salvation. It continues in expectation of God’s saving justice.
Gospel Mk 3:13-19
Having called certain people to himself, Mark’s Gospel now names the apostles. He also defines the faculties that Jesus gives them – essentially giving them purpose;”… that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”
Reflection:
As we reflect upon the beginning of the ministry of Christ which was, as we hear in the Hebrews reading, to result in the New Covenant, we cannot help but marvel at the chain of events and the amazing power of the Holy Spirit that takes this small and insignificant group of men he names and transforms the world. Even these twelve whom he selected failed him in the last. In the garden they all ran away, even Simon, who in Mark’s Gospel today is named Peter, denied him in the end.
If we had been watching this plot unfold for the first time as in a movie, When Jesus had the Last Supper and we heard what he said and saw Judas run from the room, we would have said; “Oh no, here it goes.” The garden scene would be the one where we would think this is going to have a bad ending. The Garden is where we would have expected these men to stand with their teacher and fight his arrest. But he failed. He gave them authority to preach and cast out demons, and they failed.
But the story gets better. M. Night Shyamalan (author of the Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Village) could not have put a more surprising twist in the plot. Just when we thought all was lost, the purpose is revealed. All of those predictions from the Prophets in the Old Testament are like subtle clues we had forgotten. They come back in an instant, telling us we should have expected a miracle and the Savior, even though he dies, comes back, more powerful than ever.
If we were watching this as a movie, it turns out that this amazing story is only the Pilot. From that point forward, those Apostles who ran away are transformed into men of unshakable courage and faith. They willingly face down the opposition and disregard their own safety for the sake of the Gospel message.
The most incredible thing about this whole scenario is that it is true. The victory, though not yet complete, is building. From the simple beginning where one man calls twelve others to help him in an immense task, momentum has built up over the centuries. It continues to build in us and now our call is made clear. It was not just those twelve who went up the mountain with Jesus. If we could have seen it in time stretching forward thousands of years, we would have seen the shadows of armies of saints following those humble men. If we looked very closely at those packed ranks, could we have seen ourselves?
Pax
Readings for Friday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Commentary:
Reading 1 Heb 8:6-13
We ended yesterday with a reminder that Jesus came as the new covenant, replacing the covenant and promises of Moses. Today Hebrews continues on this theme explaining why the new covenant is better. In language that sounds much like the Old Testament prophets, the fact that a new covenant was needed showed the old one to be flawed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
This song begins as a plea for mercy and salvation. It continues in expectation of God’s saving justice.
Gospel Mk 3:13-19
Having called certain people to himself, Mark’s Gospel now names the apostles. He also defines the faculties that Jesus gives them – essentially giving them purpose;”… that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”
Reflection:
As we reflect upon the beginning of the ministry of Christ which was, as we hear in the Hebrews reading, to result in the New Covenant, we cannot help but marvel at the chain of events and the amazing power of the Holy Spirit that takes this small and insignificant group of men he names and transforms the world. Even these twelve whom he selected failed him in the last. In the garden they all ran away, even Simon, who in Mark’s Gospel today is named Peter, denied him in the end.
If we had been watching this plot unfold for the first time as in a movie, When Jesus had the Last Supper and we heard what he said and saw Judas run from the room, we would have said; “Oh no, here it goes.” The garden scene would be the one where we would think this is going to have a bad ending. The Garden is where we would have expected these men to stand with their teacher and fight his arrest. But he failed. He gave them authority to preach and cast out demons, and they failed.
But the story gets better. M. Night Shyamalan (author of the Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Village) could not have put a more surprising twist in the plot. Just when we thought all was lost, the purpose is revealed. All of those predictions from the Prophets in the Old Testament are like subtle clues we had forgotten. They come back in an instant, telling us we should have expected a miracle and the Savior, even though he dies, comes back, more powerful than ever.
If we were watching this as a movie, it turns out that this amazing story is only the Pilot. From that point forward, those Apostles who ran away are transformed into men of unshakable courage and faith. They willingly face down the opposition and disregard their own safety for the sake of the Gospel message.
The most incredible thing about this whole scenario is that it is true. The victory, though not yet complete, is building. From the simple beginning where one man calls twelve others to help him in an immense task, momentum has built up over the centuries. It continues to build in us and now our call is made clear. It was not just those twelve who went up the mountain with Jesus. If we could have seen it in time stretching forward thousands of years, we would have seen the shadows of armies of saints following those humble men. If we looked very closely at those packed ranks, could we have seen ourselves?
Pax
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