For 21 February 2025, Friday of week 6 in Ordinary Time, based on Mark 8:34-9:1
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark, (Mk 8, 34-38. 9,1)
Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’
And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’ The Word of the Lord.
Today’s gospel selection is the very last paragraph in Mark’s chapter 8 ending with the first verse from chapter 9. When we read this paragraph by itself we loose much of its meaning and power as a climax to what Mark wanted to tell us in this whole chapter. So, it is important to read this selection in its context so we can understand what Jesus is telling us through Mark.
Read by itself, separated from its context, we can think that Jesus is just telling us what we should do if we freely want to follow him. In context we see Jesus telling us what he was going to do. And if we want to be Christ’s followers we have to walk with him, in his footsteps.
This paragraph starts with Jesus calling the crowd with his disciples. Which crowd? we may ask. I imagine that there were at least some of the four thousand people Jesus fed with the seven loaves of bread and few small fish. John the apostle reminds us of Christ’s lament: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you ” (Jn 6, 26-27). And there were the Pharisees who asked for a sign. It seems that the feeding of the four thousand was not sign enough for them.
And then there were the disciples who did not understand Jesus’ warning: “Watch out, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees”. They were preoccupied because they had forgotten to bring food with them and they had only one loaf in their boat. He reminded them of the feeding of the four thousand, and he asked them: “How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven”, they answered. He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”.
Then there were the people who brought the blind man so that Jesus could cure him, which he did in two steps. First he laid his hands on him and he asked him, “Can you see anything?”. He answered: “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Then Jesus asked his disciples: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah. However, when Jesus told them about his suffering, death and resurrection Peter began to rebuke him. Jesus then rebuked Peter telling him: “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things”. Jesus could have told Peter again: “Do you not understand, yet?”.
So, this was the crowd Jesus called with his disciples. You may tell me, “But all this context happened at different times and in different places”. Yes, of course. But we have to remember that Mark was preaching through his gospel. He was not writing a report for a news agency. Through his writing Mark wanted to bring us to the climax that is today’s gospel selection.
Jesus performed two miracles in this chapter, the feeding of the four thousand, and the gradual healing of the blind man. Regarding the first miracle, Mark tells us of Christ’s answer to the pharisees: “Why does this generation ask for a sign?”. As to the healing of the blind man in two different moments, we see Peter’s journey from his idea of a messiah to the real Messiah who is Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth.
This brings us to the last line in today’s selection that in reality is the first verse in Mark’s chapter 9. It shows us Jesus telling disciples and crowd, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power”. Here Jesus is not speaking of his second coming at the end of time, but about his resurrection, which is the Kingdom of God coming with power, for Jesus is the King alive coming in power and glory.
Then Mark presents us with the Transfiguration which I take as the second part of the context for today’s selection. In fact from verse 2, Mark tells us that Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. Elijah with Moses, appeared to them and they were talking with Jesus. A voice from the cloud declared: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”
“Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus”. Mark tells us that Jesus wanted Peter, James and John to have a preview of his glory as the Son of God, so as to be witnesses to those who freely accept to follow in Christ’s footsteps. We need this witnessing, for Jesus told his disciples, past and present: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt 10, 16).
Jesus here is telling us: “I am carrying my cross up to the very end. You carry yours”, for each one of us who freely accepts to follow Christ has a call and a mission, a vocation, so we can say with the apostle Paul: “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (is) the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Cor 1, 23-25).
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Costantino Mamo, OP
Cost is a friar of the province of Malta and is currently serving as a missionary in Durrës, Albania. More information can be found at his homepage at http://costmamo.blogspot.com/.
21 Feb 2025
1 CommentTake up your cross
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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark, (Mk 8, 34-38. 9,1)
Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’
And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’ The Word of the Lord.
Today’s gospel selection is the very last paragraph in Mark’s chapter 8 ending with the first verse from chapter 9. When we read this paragraph by itself we loose much of its meaning and power as a climax to what Mark wanted to tell us in this whole chapter. So, it is important to read this selection in its context so we can understand what Jesus is telling us through Mark.
Read by itself, separated from its context, we can think that Jesus is just telling us what we should do if we freely want to follow him. In context we see Jesus telling us what he was going to do. And if we want to be Christ’s followers we have to walk with him, in his footsteps.
This paragraph starts with Jesus calling the crowd with his disciples. Which crowd? we may ask. I imagine that there were at least some of the four thousand people Jesus fed with the seven loaves of bread and few small fish. John the apostle reminds us of Christ’s lament: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you ” (Jn 6, 26-27). And there were the Pharisees who asked for a sign. It seems that the feeding of the four thousand was not sign enough for them.
And then there were the disciples who did not understand Jesus’ warning: “Watch out, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees”. They were preoccupied because they had forgotten to bring food with them and they had only one loaf in their boat. He reminded them of the feeding of the four thousand, and he asked them: “How many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven”, they answered. He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”.
Then there were the people who brought the blind man so that Jesus could cure him, which he did in two steps. First he laid his hands on him and he asked him, “Can you see anything?”. He answered: “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Then Jesus asked his disciples: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah. However, when Jesus told them about his suffering, death and resurrection Peter began to rebuke him. Jesus then rebuked Peter telling him: “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things”. Jesus could have told Peter again: “Do you not understand, yet?”.
So, this was the crowd Jesus called with his disciples. You may tell me, “But all this context happened at different times and in different places”. Yes, of course. But we have to remember that Mark was preaching through his gospel. He was not writing a report for a news agency. Through his writing Mark wanted to bring us to the climax that is today’s gospel selection.
Jesus performed two miracles in this chapter, the feeding of the four thousand, and the gradual healing of the blind man. Regarding the first miracle, Mark tells us of Christ’s answer to the pharisees: “Why does this generation ask for a sign?”. As to the healing of the blind man in two different moments, we see Peter’s journey from his idea of a messiah to the real Messiah who is Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth.
This brings us to the last line in today’s selection that in reality is the first verse in Mark’s chapter 9. It shows us Jesus telling disciples and crowd, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power”. Here Jesus is not speaking of his second coming at the end of time, but about his resurrection, which is the Kingdom of God coming with power, for Jesus is the King alive coming in power and glory.
Then Mark presents us with the Transfiguration which I take as the second part of the context for today’s selection. In fact from verse 2, Mark tells us that Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. Elijah with Moses, appeared to them and they were talking with Jesus. A voice from the cloud declared: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”
“Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus”. Mark tells us that Jesus wanted Peter, James and John to have a preview of his glory as the Son of God, so as to be witnesses to those who freely accept to follow in Christ’s footsteps. We need this witnessing, for Jesus told his disciples, past and present: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt 10, 16).
Jesus here is telling us: “I am carrying my cross up to the very end. You carry yours”, for each one of us who freely accepts to follow Christ has a call and a mission, a vocation, so we can say with the apostle Paul: “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (is) the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Cor 1, 23-25).
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Costantino Mamo, OP
Cost is a friar of the province of Malta and is currently serving as a missionary in Durrës, Albania. More information can be found at his homepage at http://costmamo.blogspot.com/.