If you were reading Mark’s Gospel from beginning to end, this long passage of John the Baptist’s martyrdom comes as a sort of unexpected interlude.
But the interlude is not unrelated or thrown in their randomly. In the previous verses, The Lord sent out the Twelve apostles on a special mission to teach, and perform miracles, and cure the sick and drive out demons.
And before we hear of their return and find out if they were successful or not, we get this lengthy account of dark powers conspiring against John.
And by placing this story in the context of the disciples being sent out, to share in the Lord’s preaching of the Gospel, it is like Saint Mark saying, take courage Christians, do not be surprised when this happens to you. It happened to John, it happened to Jesus, it will happen to the apostles, and every Christian.
Ordinary Time, is a call to make sure that we have the ordinary practices that will sustain our faith in times of persecution. When we face the Herods of the world in the course of our Gospel mission, we will need strong prayer lives, strong moral compasses, strong understanding of the faith. You’ll need to build up that sense of love for God and neighbor that will sustain you when things are the darkest.
For the daily mass reading for tomorrow, the disciples do return from their mission, and immediately the Lord tells them, “come away and rest awhile.” They’ll need to recharge from ministry. They’ll need to reflect on the lessons, the successes and failures. They’ll need to learn from their mistakes and build upon what worked well.
The mission of the Church is not for the faint of heart. We, missionary disciples, are hated even before we begin. But we are also loved by God. We face resistance from the Herod’s of the world, not to mention the fury of the devil and the weaknesses of our flesh. But we are sustained by the spirit. We grow weary in our work, but refreshed in the quiet of the Lord's presence.
May the Lord give us courage in our mission, perseverance and endurance when facing difficulties, and refreshment in those needed times of rest, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
- - - - - - -
That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. Let us pray to the Lord.
That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way, especially those effected by hurricanes and storms. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment