Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, "My foot is slipping,"
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

–   For those who are tempted, that they may remember how Jesus overcame temptation and ask him to give them the strength to resist, we pray:

–   For those who have seriously sinned, that they may remember that God still loves them and is ready to forgive them, we pray:

–   For all of us, that we may see the signs of God’s goodness and of the faith of good people, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, loving Father,
in these signs of bread and wine,
you reassure us that you are always with us
through him who became one of us,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear
all the good things you do for us
through people who comfort us
and share with us in the hour of need;
help us to brighten each other’s lives
with a smile and a warm word,
as you are the light of our lives
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
when we look for signs
that you are still with us,
give us the faith and the strength
to be to the world the sign
of your saving love
by our integrity, our ways of peace,
our concern for one another,
for where charity and love prevail
surely you are there
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

Just open your eyes and your ears and learn to see the good things God does among us even today. Keep seeing and believing, for there are signs enough. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTION:

personal “honour” more than "LIFE"

Today’s Gospel brings up a warning against the yeast of the Pharisees and Herodians. Thanks to the biblical scholars, today we know that Mark was writing his text of the Gospel for the Catechumens in Rome. He wanted to communicate a specific message to those who were receiving baptism and coming into Faith: The Good News of Jesus spreads and multiplies. But not everything that multiplies is good news! In the previous chapters Mark portrayed the Pharisees and hypocrites and power-mongers. In every miracle story of Jesus, there were some opposing voices from the religious leaders. They opposed forgiveness of God, Observation of Sabbath was imposed as a burden on people, they sought recognition in public places. They were jealous of the extraordinary powers and popularity that Jesus was gaining. Jealousy, hypocrisy, and all the evil tendencies work like yeast but contaminate society.

Mark’s sense of the leaven of Herod had been masterfully outlined in his dramatisation of the execution of John the Baptist. Herod wanted political security at any cost and could not accept criticism. He valued personal “honour” more than the life of another. To look good was imperative; to do good was irrelevant. He could feast and make merry while his subjects were exploited beyond endurance.
Mark’s reference to the one loaf of bread in the boat out on the water was significant. The boat was perhaps a symbol of Mark’s community on mission. Within the community of disciples, there was to be only one loaf, the leaven of God. It was spectacularly more than enough for everyone, Jew and Gentile.
Later in the narrative, Jesus takes a loaf in his hands and invites his disciples to eat it, declaring it to be his body broken for all. In Jesus’ mind, Eucharist would be a celebration of the all-inclusive vision of God, of God’s universal offer of forgiveness and of life to the full. Eucharistic bread would allow no place for the leaven of Pharisees or of Herod.

Mark recorded Jesus’ profound sadness that even the disciples had not understood Jesus's mind and the vision he had tried to unfold during his Galilean ministry.

Yet Jesus did not withdraw from his mission. He continued to work with his hard-hearted disciples. In spite of all their limitations, he loved them, he hoped in them. Let us not argue among us over our petty concerns but be united around the life-giving bread on board.

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Mark 8: 14-21

 Still, We do not understand  

Life is full of mistakes, some caused by circumstance and others by our own recklessness or carelessness. There are times when we seek God’s help to overcome challenges, yet we fail to recognise that some of the difficulties we face are of our own making. Being honest with ourselves is the first step toward growth. How often have our words or actions caused harm that is difficult to undo? Taking responsibility for our mistakes allows us to learn from them and avoid repeating them in the future.

Jesus calls us to stay alert, guarding against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, especially regarding power and influence. We must not assume superiority because of our roles in a religious community. Pride blinds us to our faults and leads to judgment of others, as seen with the Pharisees. Additionally, we must resist ambition that seeks power selfishly. Like Herod, who sacrificed everything for control, we too risk compromising our values for status. True discipleship requires humility—serving, not dominating others

Even when we struggle to understand, God remains faithful. He does not expect us to be perfect but asks that we trust Him even in our failures. When we surrender our mistakes to Him, He transforms them into opportunities for growth. Looking back, we can see how God has guided us through past obstacles, shaping us into the people we are today. Let us be witnesses of His miracles, remembering always that He is with us.

Lord, help me recognise my faults, remain humble in service, and trust in Your guiding hand. Amen.

Still, We do not understand   - Youtube 

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Mark 8:14-21

The Life-giving bread on board

Today’s Gospel opens with a curious note from St. Mark: "The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them on the boat." The boat on the waters was a reference to the Christian community of Mark. The only loaf available to them is the breadfrom heaven - that is, Jesus himself. This bread is sufficient to nourish the lives of everyone.

In the Last Supper, we find Jesus taking a loaf in his hands and inviting his disciples to eat it, declaring it to be his body broken for all. In Jesus’ mind, the Eucharist would be a celebration of the all-inclusive vision of God, of God’s universal offer of forgiveness and of life to the full.

Jesus warns his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Leaven is understood as an agent of manipulation that multiplies disharmony in the community. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the time are portrayed as hypocrites and power-mongers. There was always a religious leader opposing Jesus' miracles and teachings. They were jealous of the extraordinary powers and popularity that Jesus was gaining. Jealousy, hypocrisy, and all evil tendencies work like leaven to contaminate society.

Herod had no tolerance for criticism and wanted political security at all costs. Personal "honour" was more important to him than people's lives. Looking good was more important than doing good. And that resulted in the killing of John the Baptist. Jesus warns his disciples not to be like the Pharisees or Herod.

Let us not argue among ourselves over our petty concerns but be united around the life-giving bread on board.

The Life-giving bread on board - Youtube