The Last teaching of Jesus Mk 13 24-37

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

THE BIBLE: GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES ICON.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 13:24 -37 which is called The Last Teaching of Jesus.

THE LAST TEACHING OF JESUS.

 The second portion of the teaching of Jesus about the future has a different focus.  It is the future coming of God’s Messiah in glory. (24-37).  His coming will be accompanied by cosmic upheavals and changes in the world.  He will come as the leader who unifies the world, and He will gather together those faithful to God from all regions of the world.

The Son of Man coming in the glory and power of God is a reference to the prophecy of Daniel (7:13-14), but also points to the enigmatic name Jesus uses for Himself in Marks Gospel.

When Marks wrote probably in the early 70’s he and other Christians may have expected the coming of the Messiah in glory in their own time.  That was not to be as we know two thousand years later.  Yet by His resurrection Jesus has come already as the Messiahs.  He is with us in a partially hidden way which reveals His presence among us by different signs, while we await His final coming in future glory.

Jesus teaches that not even He knows the time of that future coming.  The secret of the Father alone is put by Mark at the centre of these teachings.  Preceding it, we find the little parable of the figure tree, the teaching on the nearness of the Messiah’s return, and the certainly of the future hope of Jesus.  Following that central teaching, watchfulness in mentioned in almost every verse.

The disciples must be on the watch always. The need to watch for the Messiahs is taught in a short parable about a man who went away on a journey. (34-36).  The sum of all Jesus wants to say to His disciples about the futures is be watchful (37).

Mark’s apocalypse helps us feel the sure hope of Jesus for the future and the urgency of His last teaching ‘Keep awake’’!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?
  
  
• Imagine being the one of the disciples listening to Jesus about His teaching. What questions do I want to bring to Jesus?
  
  
• What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?
• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
  
  
•  Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. Why is it difficult to be challenged on a long-held view and be open to viewing it differently?
  
• Consider how much my faith means to me and what does my church/parish mean to me?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this teaching? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching? 

Collect for 14th Sunday of Year

THE COLLECT SERIES

THE MASS: COLLECT SERIES ICON

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COLLECT

O God, who in the abasement of Your Son have raised up a fallen world,

Fill Your faithful with holy joy,

For on those You have rescued from slavery to sin

You bestow eternal gladness.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1.  What are some of the synonyms for abasement?
2.  Using some of these synonyms to replace the word abasement, how does this

     impact on the meaning for me?
3.  What is holy joy? 
4.  How can I use holy joy in my life this coming week?

5.  What is eternal gladness and how can I experience it this coming week?
6. What does it mean to me to be redeemed by Jesus? 
6.  How can I live a life of mercy?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

Today we hear the Gospel of Jesus sending out the disciples on mission. The disciples hear the conditions on which they are to go out ‘’ no sandals, no haversack, no purse’’. In other words, they were not only to go without the comforts of the world but also the necessities. They were to rely on the good will of others for their lodgings and their food.

Why did Jesus ask them for such a radical process to mission?  If they had the necessities and/or the creature comforts of life, then, although their mission would likely to have been successful, they would have been doing it in their own strength and not relying on God. They needed to be stripped bare ( like us) to feel that feeling of being uncomfortable, to experience the providence of God.  When we are have the resources we need, we can easily forget God as though we do not need Him. We have become self-reliant. God is teaching His disciples ( and us) the importance of reliance on God- the providence of God.

He also teaches the disciples (and us) the second important lesson which is that not everyone wants to receive the message but not only do they not want to receive the message of redemption but they will shun it.  How are the disciples to respond in this situation?   They are to ‘’wipe their feet’’. In other words, they are to move on- don’t waste time trying to convince them of the message but give the message to those who receive it into their hearts.  Added to that, do not expect a joyful, grateful acknowledgement of the good you are doing. You are likely to meet opposition, ridicule and the like. 

In the Gospel, the disciples return- their mission was successful and they were joyful and delighted. They had not gone hungry- their needs had been met on the mission.

Yet Jesus reminds them that although it is good to be joyful about success to remember how it was possible- only through God, His providence, His help and love. He reminds them that the focus needs to remain God focused not self-focused. 

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, not we can do all things by our own strength.

APPLICATION OF THE MISSION

Whatever your mission is this week- going to work, raising a family, studying, or in retirement, we all have to apply these principles of mission

GOD first place in everything: decisions, thoughts, actions."

God to provide our needs: reliance on God for Providence.

God to thank for our success through Him: we can be successful in the mission but do not get caught up thinking it is our glory. Give God the Glory. It belongs to Him.

Let us keep our focus on God this week- whether it is in the small menial tasks like washing the dishes or a big presentation that we need to give.  When our focus is on God and we know we work with His strength and we thank Him for it, then we know our contribution to the mission will be successful.  We will be rejoicing with and in the Lord for what He has allowed to occur through us. 

Give God the glory this week in everything.

His Purpose for our day

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES.

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

My Scripture reflection is 

''Morning by morning O Lord you hear my voice,

Morning my morning I lay my requests before You

And wait in expectation”
(Psalm 5:3)

Christ The Redeemer.

My post is called:

                                                              His Purpose for our day.

Even simple things can turn the hear away from God,

Little things can lure us and distract us from His way.

But when we set aside

 a morning hour to seek Hs presence,
Our faith is newly focused

ON His purpose for our day.

7th Promise of Sacred Heart:Tepid souls shall become fervent.

PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART

SACRED HEART OF JESUS.

PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART SERIES.

In this series, there will be posts on the Promises of the Sacred Heart on each First Friday.  I may add further posts on other Fridays as well but for now as it is a new series, let us focus on each promise each month.

THE PROMISES OF OUR LORD.

"I promise you, in the excessive mercy of my heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment." 

SEVENTH PROMISE Tepid souls shall become fervent.

Today is the first Friday in July.  Let us consider this seventh promise by Jesus and make it our intention during July.’’

Let us first consider some synonyms for the word tepid.  They include: lukewarm, warm, barely warm, half-hearted, indifferent, unenthusiastic, apathetic, moderate, lackadaisical.’

Now let us consider some synonyms for fervent. They include: keen avid, ardent, eager, enthusiastic, zealous, impassioned, burning, intense, vehement, heated.

When we look at both sets of synonyms, I think it is quite clear what this seventh promise is really saying that there is going to be a shift from

Unenthusiastic to enthusiastic

Lukewarm to burning

Lackadaisical to impassioned.

Of course we must want to desire this shift for ourselves and during July we have the opportunity to examine our spiritual lives and with the Holy Spirit to show us and guide us, to see in what areas we are currently tepid and then what needs to be done through grace to become fervent, enthusiastic, impassioned.

WHAT AREAS TO CONSIDER

1.    10 commandments: How am I living these out in my life. Are there any of these commandments where I fail to keep on a more regular basis. The compendium of the Catholic Church and the Catechism of the Catholic Church explore these commandments in depth and highlight their use in our lives for today They are just as relevant today as they used to be because they examine our lives in relation to God and neighbour.

2.    Attendance for Mass and the Sacraments:  Regular Mass attendance and reception of the Sacraments are a sure way- God’s way of keeping our souls fervent. Receiving Holy Communion and feeding on Jesus out of love for Him and wanting to become like Him is crucial along with regular reception of sacrament of Reconciliation where we can bring to Him our faults, failures, sins and know that when we are truly sorry, He is willing to forgive us and absolve us.  If we have been tepid in this area, then we can turn this around during July and start again.

3.    Prayer: Prayer is communication with God.  There is formal communal prayer as in Mass and Office or when we pray together at a prayer group and then there is personal prayer when we communicate with God- share our concerns, our worries, reach out to God with our all our heart and listen.  Sometimes we can get out of gear with our prayer life.  July could be the month we start again and become passionate for God again and go to Him in prayer. Remember prayer is turning our hearts towards God. We can do this countless times every day- we could start each task with a prayer and finish each task with a prayer- a simple thank you Jesus for your help.

4.    Attitude towards neighbour: We need to consider the commandment that Jesus gave us: Love God, Love neighbour and Love ourselves.  Often people do quite well with the first 2 and have trouble loving themselves in a healthy manner. Where are we with this commandment currently? How well do we love God, love our neighbour, and yes, love ourselves.

5.    Attitude to Giving: Our attitude to giving and giving generously can often be a good barometer of our deep-seated attitude. Do we give from what we have left over or are we more like the widow who gave from what she had, giving until it hurts?  Is there a selfishness in our giving or do we excuse ourselves by putting undue emphasis on prudence? Prudence is important. Our attitude to giving with our heart is more. Where do we stand with our attitude to giving-time, money, resources, skill, knowledge, encouragement or hope?

These areas are just the tip o the iceberg and for each of us, we have our own areas to consider as each of us are unique and have our own vulnerability in one or more areas than somebody else. 

Jesus does not compare us with someone else. He wants a relationship with you and with me with what we have to offer personally.  How amazing is that. He is not comparing us with the next person. He loves us unconditionally.

During July is a wonderful chance to review our spiritual lives as individuals, as families and as parishes. Where have we gone off the boil- where do we need to put the fire of God’s love under again. How much do you desire to change?

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

1.          Bring the family together for a meeting in how each individual and as a family may put this into practical application for this month.
2. .    Remember to get each member to be specific so that the process of practical application is viable and able to be managed.
3. .       Think about how you might apply this promise not only In your own life and family but in your parish and extended world.

No 105 Why did Jesus receive from John the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins?

COMPENDIUM SERIES

JESUS THE TEACHER

No 105 Why did Jesus receive from John ‘’the baptism of repentance’’ for the forgiveness of sins? (535- 537,566)

WHAT DOES THE COMPENDIUM SAY?

Compendium states: 

To inaugurate His public life and to anticipate the ‘’Baptism’’ His death, He who was without sin accepted to be numbered among sinners.  He was the ‘’Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world “(Jn 1:29). The Father proclaim Him to be “His beloved Son’(Mr 3:17), and the Spirit descended upon Him.  The baptism of Jesus is a prefiguring of our Baptism.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

What does this mean for me?

• I can thank God for my own baptism and enter more deeply into it with Jesus.
• I can try to use my daily life to become holy through prayer, simplicity, work and family love.  
• I can ponder carefully what my Baptism means to me and consider with gratitude that Jesus became one of us in all things except sin but was still prepared to be numbered as a sinner.
• I can consider carefully how Jesus showed obedience to God the Father who called Him His beloved Son. and imitate that obedience in my life.

Questions to consider.

1.      What impact does the Baptism of Jesus have on me and how I live my life?

2.      How would I explain why Jesus was baptised in a baptism of repentance when He was without sin?

3.      What steps can I take to embrace the benefits of my Baptism in my life?

4.       Why was it important for Jesus to be numbered as a sinner like us when He was  sinless?

Liturgy of the Eucharist Preparation of the Gifts Part 1

ABOUT THE MASS SERIES

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS PART 1

THE MASS: ABOUT THE MASS SERIES ICON.

We now commence the next main section of the Mass- The liturgy of the Eucharist which contains the following elements:

•  Preparation of the Gifts
•  Introductory Dialogue.
•  Preface.
•  Holy. Holy-Sanctus
•  Eucharistic Prayers Nos 1-4-
•  Doxology and Great Amen.

As this is such an important section of the Mass, the Preparation of the gifts will have 11 posts, Sanctus will have 2 posts, and Eucharistic Prayers will have 8 posts. 

Let us now commence Liturgy of the Eucharist Part 1.

As the Mass is the centre of the Church’s liturgy and worship, the Church has laid down careful rules (rubrics), so that the Mass may be worthily celebrated, as well ensuring an uniformity and universality. For the offering of Mass an altar is required, which is God’s table on which our gifts are placed to become the Victim that is offered in Sacrifice. We receive as His children from God’s table the food He gives us.

The altar is usually a stone table, which is consecrated by the Bishop. In the altar, there are relics of some saints.  Do you know whose relics were placed in the altar in the parish where you worship?   The Church requires that the altar be covered with at least one white or liturgically appropriate coloured cloth. On it are usually placed a crucifix, to show that the Mass is the Sacrifice of the Cross, Candles to represent the Light of the World giving light to us, and the Priest’s Missal called the Sacramentary (Roman Missal).

Some churches use one candle each side for both Sunday and weekday Masses, whilst some other churches ’ use 3 candles each side on Sunday, and one each side during the week.  Other churches  use one candle each side of the altar, but during Christmastide and Eastertide, use extra candles ( e.g my own parish uses 3 candles in brass candle holders which are placed each side of the steps of the sanctuary)

Before Mass begins, the Priest, Sacristan or altar servers place altar wine and water into the 2 Cruets accompanied by a finger towel. The priest uses a metal plate called a Paten on which the bread (priest’s host) is held, and a metal cup called the Chalice into which the wine is poured that becomes the blood of Christ. If they are not made of gold, they are gilt inside. The Cruets and Paten are placed on the offertory table ready for the offertory procession. The offertory table is located either in the centre aisle (midway as in the case of my own parish) or behind the last pew near the entrance in the church.

The offertory procession requires members of the congregation to bring the paten and Flagon (decanter), which is a bigger receptacle required for the wine, to the priest.  Four Communion Cups (chalice like vessels) are used during Mass when communion is given out under both species.

The Chalice is often covered by a Veil (which varies in colour with the season or feast) and underneath it are the Corporal (3^rd lined cloth), Purificator (a triple folded white cloth used to cleanse chalice) and Pall (cloth which covers chalice). This is placed on the Credence Table on the Sanctuary.  A credence table may be either marble/stone or wood.

Jesus shares His future hope.

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 13:5 -24 which is called Jesus shares His future hope

JESUS SHARES HIS FUTURE HOPE

Jesus does not directly answer the two questions which his close disciples have put to Him, but He describes in apocalyptic style a terrible desecration of the temple, something the roman actually did in the year 70, during the Roman- Jewish war (66-74).

An apocalypse is a literary way of presenting God’s saving action, already coming into the world in the present, by creating imaginative descriptions of its final victory over evil in future destructive events and cosmic upheavals in the world.

It is likely that here Mark has elaborated the work of an earlier Christian author, who to give encouragement and hope to fellow Christians composed a little apocalypse incorporating teaching of Jesus about the future.

The short apocalypse, by Mark ends his narrative of the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, has two parts.  There the signs surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the signs accompanying the coming of the Messiah (13:24-37).

In these teachings Jesus invites His disciples to enter into His hope for the future.  Around a central teaching, Mark appears to have arrange the other teachings of Jesus in three parts of successive frames or pairs of teachings.  Awareness of this literary structure helps to a better understanding.

True disciples must be alert and not be deceived by false prophets.  They must not despair when they see wares and natural calamities.

When persecutions and betrauls comes, they must not become anxious but remain watchful for God’s powerful action, even when they have to from Jerusalemn.

  

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

Imagine being the one of the people observing the action of the widow and listening to the comment of Jesus about His future hope.
What inconsistencies in myself do I want to bring to Jesus?

What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
  
  

·         Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. Why is it difficult to be challenged on a long-held view and be open to viewing it differently?

·         Pray for people called to be God’s servants and messengers in places and situations where they are treated badly. Is there a situation or a person in your parish who is treated badly for doing the right thing and therefore is not loved by parishioners in accordance with this commandment of love?

• Consider how much my faith and love gives a special ‘taste’ to my day to day living as a Christian, that is, one who follows Jesus as the Christ?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this teaching? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching?