Faith

Six meals a day – 6th Week in ordinary time – Tuesday-Mk 8:14-21

Earlier, in chapter 8 Jesus had worked for the second time, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. We are told that there were seven baskets leftover. These plaited baskets called, spuris in Greek, were large commercial baskets, large enough for a man like Paul to be placed in and lowered from the walls of Damascus.  Let’s assume that if a basket of this nature could hold a man like Paul, about eighty kilos in weight, then on an average seven such baskets would give us fifty six kilos of scrap food; not forgetting that the Lord had already fed four thousand.

Where is all this going? In today’s gospel we are told that the disciples have got into the boat with Jesus and then, much to their dismay they realize that they have only ONE LOAF of bread.  Jesus aware of their reaction must have been shocked at their incredulity and ignores them as he continues to teach them about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Herod. They just don’t get it! They were still worried about their one loaf of bread and thinks that he speaks so because they forgot to bring bread! Jesus must have been at his wits end. He is the bread of life who demonstrated that He could work the impossible and feed thousands, and here were his own, his closest, his disciples, who were worried about ONE LOAF OF BREAD!!

His confrontation is hard on them. The disciples are accused of the same behaviour as that of the Pharisees. “Do you not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you fail to see, hear and remember?  What a frustrating moment that must have been for Jesus. His very own understood him not.

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Opinion

Simple truth – When all is NOT well

The simple truth is this; most people never have their emotional needs met simply because they are drawing from wells that are dry to them. Each one of us have a ‘well of emotions’ but we choose selectively; we decided who can and when they can draw from it.  Unfortunately you may be one such person who goes with your bucket to these wells that are mostly if not always closed to you.

The result is devastating.  A thirsty person is not merely disappointed but they end up being despondent. So here is what you need to do if your emotional needs are not met, simply change the well you are drawing from. Now before some start insinuating that I am suggesting adultery, I am not. I am talking about emotional needs generically and not specifically to marriage.

Let me explain myself. A constant complaint from many people is that those closest to them, a friend, relative, parent or child often don’t meet the basic emotional need or the attention that one ought to get. Their several efforts to draw from these wells are met with rejection or dryness. It’s not that they have not tried; the size of the emotional bucket has been compromised so often that it is now a small jug, yet the results are the same, the well is dry.

Ironically these same wells are filled with sweet water for others and this alarming fact stares us in the face. The same well that yields us not a drop seems to have flowing water for others. This all too evident irony is often smothered with self-blame. “Perhaps it is my fault because I came too often at this well” or “It’s my fault because I came to draw water at the wrong time”. These and several more excuses don’t assuage the truth that stares you in the face. These wells have water but they have none for you.

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Faith

Hardened Hearts – Monday, 6th Week in ordinary time – Mark 8: 11-13

The gospel of today tells us that the scribes and the Pharisees come to argue with Jesus and right away we know where their hearts lie.  They ask Jesus for a sign, not a miracle, why? If you look through the gospel of Mark, Jesus, by the chapter eight has worked innumerable miracles and asking him for one more would gain them nothing. Prominent among them are the multiplication of the loaves and fish in chapter 6, worked in a Jewish area and the again in chapter 8 in a Gentile area. They have seen the miracles but they don’t care and so unlike in Chapter 7:1 where they find a reason to argue with Jesus, here they come to pick a fight, plain and simple; their minds were made up, he had to die!

Hardened hearts are dangerous. It could blind us to such a degree that we reduce a miracle working God to criminal on the cross. The Pharisees come to Jesus to ‘test’ him. Ironically the other person who tested Jesus was Satan. We are told in the pericope of the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, that the people were following Jesus for three days, they were hungry; yet they never put him to a test, they never demanded a sign.

That’s why Jesus sighs, and interesting says, “No sign will be given to this generation”.  Where does that leave us? Should our hearts be bent on testing the Lord, should we continue to pick on his commandments and mock him then his words become true for us too, ‘ no sign will be given to us.’

We are invited today to trust the Lord, to ask and know we will receive, to seek and be confident to find, to knock and be assured that the door will be open.

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Art/ Heritage

THE HAPPY SONG: ‘La Petite Tombe’ by Rembrandt Van Rijn (1650 – 55)

The indefinable Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606 – 1669) has made his mark in history more through his etchings than his paintings. His scratches and scribbles; his bizarre variety of lines from loose to quick, cross hatched to deep and from dark to blotty have succeeded in depicting the world through its black and white beauty . Rembrandt’s needle like a quill weaved lines of life and creativity. His secret weapon was the dry point technique. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0qlQ0lyBc )

Contrary to Michelangelo, Rembrandt was not obsessed with the muscular. His style is boundless representing the human being in all ages, statures and conditions. They are subtle and yet complex; detailed and yet bare; grouped and yet isolated. But like the musicians of an orchestra Rembrandt’s drawings symphonise to form one unique whole. The etching in consideration titled ‘La Petite Tombe’ mirrors one such marvellous medley.

Often misinterpreted as ‘the Little Tomb’ on which Christ supposedly stands, the origins of the title can be traced to a compiled catalogue of Rembrandt’s etchings by Gersaint in 1751 – 52. It draws reference to Nicholas de la Tombe, a contemporary art dealer who is postulated to have commissioned this plate. The subject is one of Rembrandt’s favourite and most famously revisited theme i.e. ‘Christ Preaching’. The etching is a condensed, counter-balanced and a clearer version of the artist magnum opus – ‘The Hundred Guilder print.’

At once we are drawn to the illuminating figure of Christ preaching the Good News to ordinary people in a limited space. To His left lies a gateway to the outside world muddled by buildings and serpentine streets.  Thus, the setting of the preaching serves as the secret space where the ‘laboured and the heavy burdened’ seek rest.

The arched gateway
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Faith

‘Mass’ appeal not some ‘fringe’ teaching – Monday, 5th week in ordinary time – Mk 6:53-56

Jesus has fed the five thousand in Capernaum which became his de facto headquarters for ministry and then to the surprise of His disciples walked on water. Unfortunately, after these miraculous displays of His power, the disciples still do not get it. We are told in scripture, 6:52 that, “they did not understand about the loaves, their hearts were hardened.”

What the disciples did not get, the people of Gennesaret understood. Gennesaret which is situated south of Capernaum also lends its name to Lake Galilee which among others is also called Lake Gennesaret or Lake Tiberius.  Gennesaret translates as ‘princely garden’.  The soil of Gennesaret was known for its amazing fertility and hence the famed gardens of the city. The Bible tells us that the Lake of Gennesaret is where Jesus walked, preached, calmed the storm, and granted miraculous catches of fish, and where Peter walked, at least until he took his eyes off Jesus.

But it is the people of this city whom the Bible focuses its attention on today. We are told that the people recognized Him even though the Bible does not indicate that Jesus walked this city before. Good news they say, travels fast and the poor and those in need are the best carriers of good news for they know where to go to in hard times and willingly share this with others like themselves.

The people of Gennesaret recognize Jesus and waste no time for they “rushed to bring their sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.” The beauty is that Jesus never disappointed those in need. No city, village or farm that He visited in Gennesaret was left without the loving aid of the Lord.

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