Alberic Jacovone OSB
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YEAR B
THIRD SUNDAY - 22.1.06
Jonah 3,1-5.10; 1 Cor 7,29-31; Mk 1,14-20
When God calls & we respond
Mark’s
Gospel for 2006.
This is the Year of Mark. Today we take up the reading of his Gospel, through
the Sundays of Ordinary Time. So far, we’ve already held the start of Mark’s
Gospel on 2nd Sunday of Advent (the first 8 verses)- & on the Feast Our
Lord’s Baptism last Monday, Jan 16th (next 2 verses). Mark’s Gospel is
called Second Gospel (Matthew’s is 1st); it is the first to be written between
65-70AD, for the Christians in Rome, where they were undergoing persecution
because of their faith. Mark starts his Gospel stating: “The beginning of the
Good News of Yeshuah, Messiah & Son of God’. Then he states that, -to
fulfil what prophets Malachi & Isaiah had foretold, John the Baptist came
ahead of the Messiah, to prepare the way & ask people to welcome Him. Then
Jesus himself came to be baptized in the Jordan River: the Holy Spirit came on
Him & John the Baptist proclaimed that He was the Messiah promised to come
& save us all...
At this point, starts today’s reading: John the Baptist was soon
arrested by Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, who ruled over the region of
Galilee. While preaching with powerful & convincing words and while
preparing the People to welcome the Messiah, John was also highly critical of
the behaviour of Antipas, in marrying Herodias who was his niece and the former
wife of his brother. In this context of troubled times and great expectations,
Jesus appears in the scene, comes in the area of Lake of Galilee & starts
preaching God’s Good News: “The time has come - God’s Kingdom has come -
Repent of all wrong-doing & turn to God - accept in your lives these Good
News”.
Jesus’
School of discipleship. Today, we reflect on Mark’s ‘call-story’; it highlights the
calling of the first disciples of Jesus and links well with last week’s
‘call-story’ from John’s Gospel. Notice how each Gospel relates the
calling of the disciples in slightly different manner. Today Mark presents his
‘call story’ & his understanding of the kind of school Jesus is opening.
It’s a school of discipleship. Mark describes it with his classical,
unmistakable style, which is made in chiastic & concentric verse - condensed
& cryptic format - with an intent at converting & convincing - expecting
immediate, unconditional response from both Jesus’ disciples in the Gospel
& from us who now read his Gospel... If we dare to take in faith this kind
of response, then miracles will certainly follow.
Every story in Mark’s Gospel aims at encouraging people to stay firm
in the faith, as they face opposition & persecution. People are to respond
with unconditional commitment to the Lord, leaving no room for excuses, delays
or doubts. They simply are to leave behind everything - instantly to be drawn to
the person of Jesus - with nothing to stop them from joining God’s Kingdom
& working for its realization. An equal determination is expected of us. As
far as Mark is concerned, Jesus is our best, ideal & only teacher. If we
choose to follow, Jesus is our absolute leader: he takes first initiatives,
males a first move, loves us first, chooses & calls us, knowing fully who we
are & what we are capable-of. To
us readers & disciples of all time, Mark leaves no alternative, but to
accept & respond gratefully, to discern & discover that, in God’s
loving Kingdom we are working for one another, & thus we fulfil God’s
loving design, to save all humankind. In a nutshell: Jesus’ school of
discipleship is God’s doing. In it, we are called; we do not volunteer or
enrol. In it, no one can boast about assets, ability, skills & powers, even
spiritual powers. To God’s call,
we are to respond compellingly, immediately, unconditionally & humbly...
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