Gospel – Mark
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out – beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand?”
Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’
They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Alistair C’s Intentions
Reflection:
The Gospel today speaks about how the disciples seem to still have one-track minds – fantasising scenes of future political glory, which seemed to be heralded by the popularity of Jesus in the wake of the miracle of the feeding the four thousand.
When he tries to warn them against the expectations raised by the Pharisees and by Herod (yeast was the raising-agent used in baking) – they can only hear his words as something like a warning against themselves again running short of bread.
What they are missing out on is this: The only real future is the future that has already arrived before their eyes (and not any good-time future offered by politicians) – The Lord Of The Future is already present among them: how else is one to explain the sheer liberality of the mass-feeding that has happened before their very eyes?
- Do you see and feel Jesus presence with you in the pain, struggles and the joyous moments of your Life?
