Friday of second week in ordinary time, Jan.19,2007
Scripture: Companionship with Jesus was the object of my reflection upon
today's Scriptures. In our first reading from Hebrews, we recall the
covenant of companionship with God and how Jesus is the perfect model for
this companionship--surpassing even the angels! We listen to God speaking
to us, "I will place my law in their minds and I will write them upon their
hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:
31-34 as cited in verse 8 today from Hebrews).The Psalm is covenantal and
shows us the tenderness of such a covenant made in honesty and
openness,"Kindness and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss."
These words are essential to companionship with God and with one another.
When we turn to Mark's Gospel for this morning we learn of our
companionship with Jesus. Twelve men follow Jesus and become his
companions. They go with Jesus to the mountain to pray with him and then
he entrusts himself to them as a life-long companion on their journey.
Each of the twelve are called specifically and intentionally by name. They
represent the People of God, the Israelites, who were numbered as twelve
tribes. We too can spiritually identify with one of these tribes and one
of the names recorded by Mark. This is the first time that the twelve are
actually named in a Gospel and it is Mark who has the honor of being the
Evangelist who has recorded their calling as companions of Jesus. Jesus
then commissions them to do what he is doing-- to preach the Good News (the
Gospel) and to cast out the demons of all forms of evil, sickness, and
fear. They know that they must follow the love commandments of Moses and
the instruction of Jesus with all their minds, hearts, and souls.
Wholehearted attention, reverence, and love are the way to carry out the
commandments. We share with them in this call by our baptism and
confirmation when we were given a privileged name; some of us actually have
the names of the twelve as our baptismal name or that of our confirmation.
We now are companions of Jesus and his mission. We are bathed and clothed
and anointed in the Paschal Mysteries of Jesus our life-long companion. We
are today's apostles sent to witness to the Good News. Amen.
today's Scriptures. In our first reading from Hebrews, we recall the
covenant of companionship with God and how Jesus is the perfect model for
this companionship--surpassing even the angels! We listen to God speaking
to us, "I will place my law in their minds and I will write them upon their
hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:
31-34 as cited in verse 8 today from Hebrews).The Psalm is covenantal and
shows us the tenderness of such a covenant made in honesty and
openness,"Kindness and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss."
These words are essential to companionship with God and with one another.
When we turn to Mark's Gospel for this morning we learn of our
companionship with Jesus. Twelve men follow Jesus and become his
companions. They go with Jesus to the mountain to pray with him and then
he entrusts himself to them as a life-long companion on their journey.
Each of the twelve are called specifically and intentionally by name. They
represent the People of God, the Israelites, who were numbered as twelve
tribes. We too can spiritually identify with one of these tribes and one
of the names recorded by Mark. This is the first time that the twelve are
actually named in a Gospel and it is Mark who has the honor of being the
Evangelist who has recorded their calling as companions of Jesus. Jesus
then commissions them to do what he is doing-- to preach the Good News (the
Gospel) and to cast out the demons of all forms of evil, sickness, and
fear. They know that they must follow the love commandments of Moses and
the instruction of Jesus with all their minds, hearts, and souls.
Wholehearted attention, reverence, and love are the way to carry out the
commandments. We share with them in this call by our baptism and
confirmation when we were given a privileged name; some of us actually have
the names of the twelve as our baptismal name or that of our confirmation.
We now are companions of Jesus and his mission. We are bathed and clothed
and anointed in the Paschal Mysteries of Jesus our life-long companion. We
are today's apostles sent to witness to the Good News. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 8:43 AM
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