In this section you can find a daily commentary on the Gospel of the Day.

Monday 18 February 2019

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Word for Today
The Gospel of Mark 8:11-13

A Sigh

A person is sinking in quicksand. He is almost up to his chin and the mud is filling his mouth. Help arrives. The rescuer throws a perfectly launched rope which comes within inches of the mouth of the unfortunate person who is sinking.  All he has to do is to grasp the end of the rope by his teeth to be rescued. But the sinking person does not care about the rope. It is clear that all he has to do is to grab the end of the rope to be saved, but he does not grab the rope by his teeth; instead he begins to scream that he wants a sign, a sign proving that the person saving him is really there to save him. What can be said? What can be done?
Even our sweet Jesus, in the face of a generation that is on the brink of the abyss but continues to discuss and ask for evidence and signs, even our sweet Jesus is unable to hold back a mute, desolate sigh and, while turning the other way, makes a gesture that shakes the depths of the universe: Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

We are poor Lord,
sullied and oppressed by many things,
sluggish on the path of love,
almost suffocated by fear and deception,
but save us, Lord.
Save us, Lord,
We do not ask you for signs,
we do not interrogate you,
we do not ask for proof,
bring us safely to the other side, Lord.
We implore you with all our might,
do not go to the other side without us.
Amen