Breaking the Word

1^st Week of Ordinary Time, Wednesday – 12^th January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Prayer for Discernment

The text of today is made up of three parts. In the first part (1,29-31), the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law and her hospitality as response. In the second part (1,32-34), numerous sick are brought to Jesus, who heals them all.  In the third part (1,35-39), Jesus manifests his personal aspect, namely his prayer life. Despite a long and eventual day, Jesus rose early the next morning to seek solitude. Physically fueled as he was by the hospitality of Simon’s mother-in-law, he needed something more than a few extra hours of sleep. He needed the connection with his Father that prayer alone can provide. When the Apostles found Jesus and told him that everyone was looking for him, he responded with renewed purpose and they left to preach in the neighbouring villages throughout Galilee. Here the content of Jesus’ prayer seems to be discernment on whether he must stay or move on. While it would have been easier to stay because of the approval he receives here, as is evident from his disciples’ affirmation, yet Jesus opts to move on. Because Jesus sees this as his Father’s will. Mark makes clear on numerous occasions that nothing and no one can come between Jesus and his Father’s will.

1^st Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 11^th January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 1,21-28

Silencing His Identity

Exorcism is the first miracle in the Gospel of Mark and it is a practical example of the teaching of Jesus. The exorcism indicates that the kingdom has indeed drawn near (Mk 16,17) and Satan’s reign has ended. This is the first time in this Gospel that we come across what is commonly known as “the command to silence”. This is a technique that the evangelist Mark uses in his Gospel for a particular motive. Jesus commands demons (1,25.34), those he has healed (1,44) and the family members of the one healed (5,43) not to make known his identity or he is the one who healed them. One of the reasons why Jesus silences them is that the Marcan Jesus did not want people to mistake him for merely an exorcist or miracle worker, but wanted them to realize that He was the Christ who would suffer, die on the cross and be raised on the third day.