Sunday reflections

The kingdom of God is the heart and essence of Jesus’ teaching. References to the kingdom appear 114 times in the four gospels. According to our earliest gospel, Mark (1:15: cf. 3:24; 4:11, 26, 30), Jesus initiated his message with the proclamation, “The present era of history is at an end, the reign of God has come near; convert your mind and believe in the good news.”

Have you ever experienced something that becomes more absorbing the more you spend time with it? Maybe it’s a piece of music, a novel, a spot in the park. You could watch that movie a million times. The bible is similar. It was written to be pondered; it is ‘meditation literature’.

We might think that, as a general rule, belonging to a group would be a good thing. However, today’s Scriptures teach us that belonging to a group might not be all positive. As members of a group, we might advance the group’s interests to the detriment of others outside the group. We might be so protective of the group’s achievements that we do not want anyone else to do the same things – simply because that person is “not one of us”.

Imagine the scene. Jesus and his disciples are making their way along the road to Capernaum. Being a few paces away from the others, Jesus is not part of their conversation. Nonetheless he picks up the vibe: the disciples are squabbling among themselves. So, when they arrive at their destination, Jesus confronts them: “What were you arguing about along the road?” Attempting to cover their shame, the disciples say nothing.

There are two miracle-stories that occur only in Mark’s gospel: the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida, and today’s story of the healing of the deaf-mute. Both stories reveal to us the truly human face of Jesus who responds with compassion to people’s infirmities. But they also reveal the healing powers of the promised Messiah who will ‘open the eyes of the blind’ and ‘unseal the ears of the deaf’ (Isaiah).

Have you ever experienced something that becomes more absorbing the more you spend time with it? Maybe it’s a piece of music, a novel, a spot in the park. You could watch that movie a million times. The bible is similar. It was written to be pondered; it is ‘meditation literature’.

For these last five weeks we have listened to gospel readings from John Chapter 60, readings about bread and, most importantly of all, the Bread of Life. Jesus teaches “I have come to give you the Bread of Life.”

Mary set out quickly from Nazareth to a town in the hill country of Judah, to visit her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the child we know as John the Baptist. Mary is carrying her own child, Jesus. At the presence of Jesus and his mother, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy!

The first session of the Plenary Council will take place in Adelaide from 2-10 October 2021 and the second in Sydney from 4-9 July 2022. The Council meetings will be multi-modal in that people will be present face-face and online.

In today’s gospel, the people ask Jesus three questions and each time his response suggests, think again.