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| “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1633 |
Commentary:
Reading I: 1 John 4:11-18
Commentary on 1 Jn 4:11-18
St. John’s first letter is continued following the profession of God’s love. “The testimony of the Spirit and that of faith join the testimony of love to confirm our knowledge of God. Our love is grounded in the confession of Jesus as the Son of God and the example of God's love for us. Christian life is founded on the knowledge of God as love and on his continuing presence that relieves us from fear of judgment.”[4]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, to be sung for the king. While the song recounts the tribute brought by adjoining kingdoms (as tribute to his just rule), we see this as a reminder of the gifts brought by the Magi to the young Savior. This is reinforced in the final strophe as the song stresses care for the poor and afflicted.
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Gospel: Mark 6:45-52
Commentary on Mk 6:45-52
The Gospel of St. Mark provides us with a second proof of the identity of Jesus. Following the feeding of the five thousand, he now calms the sea and walks upon the waters as a demonstration of the authority of the Messiah. As it is used in this passage, it is a formulaic utterance attributed to God “It is I, do not be afraid!” Translated literally the identity is “I am.” The disciples are not ready to accept the meaning of these signs. “Their hearts were hardened.” They resisted the leap of faith.
CCC: Mk 6:46 2602
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Reflection:
The Church continues its celebration of the Nativity of the Lord as St. John, in the first reading, once more reflects upon the Great Commandment. We hear the truth of the Gospel, telling us to love God and love one another – the great mantra of our faith. As we overlay the story from St. Mark’s Gospel, we hear how the disciples, in spite of the evidence of their senses, pulled back from the truth. The words used to describe their state of belief have been used many times before in scripture, “their hearts were hardened.” They reflect the stubbornness of humankind, when the rational mind pushes faith out of the way.
In some cases the hearts of God’s adversaries were hardened so God’s might and authority could be demonstrated, as he did with pharaoh in Exodus as Moses tried to show him the Lord’s greatness time and again. King Zedekiah’s heart was hardened against all who tried to bring God to him (2 Chronicles 36:11-13), and King Belshazzar also rejected the call issued through Daniel (Daniel 5:20ff). Indeed, Isaiah predicted the people of Israel would reject the savior through a hardening of their hearts, quoted by the Lord as he lamented the fact (John 12:37-41).
This hardening of the heart is something we must all deal with in an ongoing way. It is not something that happens once and passes. No, it is in many ways like heartburn, if you will forgive the poor analogy. When you eat too much of the wrong things it will jump up and grab you. Hardening of the heart in some people is actually like acid reflux, something of a chronic condition. The worst part of hardening of the heart is that its symptoms are not easily detected. There is no sudden burning. One day you may just feel less zeal for God, less of an emotional affinity to him. Situations in life can create another symptom – cynicism.
The good news is this hardening of the heart is treatable. A good dose of prayer, regularly administered, will keep it at bay. And the Eucharist, taken internally on a frequent basis, does wonders. Oh, and reading the instructions for the treatment of “hardening of the heart” is also advised. These instructions can be found in the pages of the Bible. Once it is recognized we can open our hearts back up to Christ and let him come in and soften those sharp edges that prevent us from doing as St. John says: loving one another and loving God.
Today as we consider the Lord’s closest friends and how they were affected by hardening of the heart, we pray for ourselves, that our hearts may be open and full of the love of God in His Son whose nativity we continue to celebrate with joy.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1633.
[4] see NAB footnote on 1 John 4:11ff.
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