Based on Mark 1: 14-20 (Gospel),
Jon. 3:1-5, 10 (1st Rdng.), and1 Cor. 7:29-31 (2nd Rdng.)
From the series “Reflections and Teachings from the Desert”
GOD’S ENVOYS
An Envoy is an official representative, or somebody
acting as a diplomat on behalf of a national government or sent as its official
messenger. (Mid 17th century French envoye,
past participle of envoyer “send”,
assumed Vulgar Latin inviare “put on
the way” (Latin via “way”).
An “apostle” is
a Jewish title that means ‘envoy’, cf. Jn. 13:16; 2 Co. 8:23; Ph. 2:25,
sometimes used in the NT for the Twelve chosen by Christ, Mt. 10 (see note b of
Rm. 1:1).
Today’s gospel
talks about Jesus preaching to people the good news of the coming of God’s
kingdom on earth and the need for the repentance of the people.Because of this
,he was the first one to serve as God’s envoy before he appointed the Twelve as
his own apostles or envoys.
Today’s first
reading, taken from Jonah 3:1-5 and 10, talks about the work of the prophet
Jonah as God’s envoy to the city of Nineveh, which was said to be a sinful city
at that time. The city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire at its
height (about 705-612 BC), was situated on the Tigris River in northern Iraq,
opposite the modern city of Mosul.
Today’s second
reading, from 1 Cor. 7:29-31, talks about the lifestyle that an envoy should
have and the message which an envoy should speak to his
listeners.
Based on Jn. 1:35-42 (Gospel), 1 S. 3:3b-10,19 (1stRdng.),
and 1 Co. 6:13c-15a, 17-20 (2ndRdng.)
From the series “Reflections and Teachings from the Desert”
“HERE I AM! YOU CALLED ME! (1 Sam. 3:6)
Today’s First Reading gives us a
very beautiful story about God’s call to Samuel. This story recalls to my mind
the kind of seminary formation I underwent when I was also a boy of twelve
years old. At that age, boys like me tried to answer God’s call for the
priesthood like the boy Samuel did at the service of Eli the priest at God’s
temple in Shiloh. But that’s what I thought about God calling me at that time.
However, I was merely volunteering myself for the service of the Church. Like Samuel who was volunteered by his parents
to serve the priest Eli at the temple at Shiloh in exchange for an answered
prayer. But, later God called him directly as today’s narrative tells, which consecrated
him prophet (See footnotea on 1 Sam.
3).
The
direct calling by God to people was made by Jesus Christ when he called two of
his first disciples in today’s gospel narrative, namely Andrew and his brother
Simon who was called “Peter”.
The
story goes this way: “On the following
day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John
stared hard at him and said ‘Look, there is the Lamb of God’.”
This
gesture is repeated several times in the Gospel of John, such as:in Jn. 19:5 when it says:“Jesus then came out
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.Pilate said, ‘Here is the man’.” In Jn. 1:29
it also says: “The next day, seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look,
there is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”
Footnote
w of this text says “(This is ) one of the most significant of
John’s symbols of Christ, cf. Rv.5:6,
12, etc. It blends the idea of the ‘servant’ (Is. 53), who takes on himself the
sins of men and offers himself as a ‘lamb of expiation’ (v. 14), with that of
the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:1+; cf. Jn. 19:36) whose ritual symbolizes Israel’s
redemption, Cf. Ac. 8:31-35; 1 Co. 5:7; 1 P. 18-20.”
Another
text that portrays the same gesture is also found in Jn. 1:36 which says: “Jesus
passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God’.”
The
story about Jesus Christ’s call of his first two disciples continues: “Hearing this, the two disciples followed
Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’
They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ - which means Teacher - ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and
see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the
rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.One of these two who became
followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of
Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We
have found the Messiah’ - which means the Christ - and he took Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be
called Cephas’ meaning Rock.”
Regarding the circumstances of
Simon Peter’s personality, the NT scriptures reports this way:In Mt. 16:18-19+, “So now I say to you: You are Peter
and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can
never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
whatsoever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatsoever
you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.”
In Mk. 3:16, it says: “And so he
appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter.”
In1 Co. 1:12, it says, “What I
mean are all these slogans that you have like: ‘I am for Paul’, ‘I am for
Apollos’, ‘I am for Cephas’, ‘I am for Christ’”.
As
the above texts would show, Simon Peter, who was called by Jesus Christ to be
one of his first disciples after his brother Andrew , will assume a primal
position among the group of the disciples, and later, the twelve apostles,that Jesus Christ will call.
Today’s gospel drives to us an
important doctrine of the desert which the New Testament Church believes and
holds, namely: that it is the Church that calls, not the individual that should
present or volunteer himself for the work of the Church. It is in the same
manner that “If Yahweh does not build the house, in vain the masons toil; If
Yahweh does not guard the city, in vain the sentries watch.” (Psalm 127:1)
The
second reading presents a better use of our body by using it to answer the
Church’s call to service for the glory of God instead of using it for
immorality or for any worldly ends. What better use could we give to the body
than to use it for the service and glory of God?As 1 Co. 6:13c says, “But the body - this is not meant for
fornication; it is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
This assertion that today’s Second Reading is trying
to make supports the theme of both today’s Gospel and First Readings regarding answering God’s call. “Here I am! You called Me!”
Based on Mk 10:13-16 (Gospel),Ep.
1:3-6, 15-18 (2ndRdng), and Is.9:1-6 (1stRdng)
From the Series “Reflectionsand
Teaching from the Desert’
“Let the little children come to me” -
Mk. 10:14
There are two accounts regarding
the incident of Jesus with the children. One is this present gospel narrative
from Mk. 10:13-16. This narrative has a parallel with Mt. 19:13-15andLk. 18:15-17. Do these three parallels regarding
the first account of the incident agree? Let us see the following comparison:
In Mk. 10:13-16 (our present gospel), it says: “People were bringing little children to him,
for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away. But when Jesus saw this
he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not
stop them; for to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you
solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them
and gave them his blessing.”
In Mt. 19:13-15 it also says: “People brought little children to him, for
him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away,
but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to
me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs’. Then he
laid his hands on them and went on his way.”
In Lk. 18:15-17, it also
says:“People even brought little children to him, for him to touch them; but
when the disciples saw this they turned them away. But Jesus called the
children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you
solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it.’”
In a diagram form, this comparison
looks this way:
TEXT
INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
Mk. 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to him, for
him to touch them. The disciples turned them away.
But when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said
to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for to such
as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who
does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’
Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands
on them and gave them his blessing.
Mt. 19:13-15
People brought little children to him, for him to
lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away.
But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone,
and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the
kingdom of heaven belongs’.
Then he laid his hands on them and went on his
way.
Lk. 18:15-17
People even brought little children to him, for
him to touch them; but when the disciples saw this they turned them away.
But Jesus called the children to him and said,
‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such
as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who
does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’
Except for some minor details that
are present in one and none in the other two, the three narratives are
basically the same in the introduction and body.However, it is only Luke’s account
that omitsa concluding remark.
The
second account regarding the incident of
Jesus with the children is the one reported in Mt. 18:1-7,10 which says: “At this time the disciples came to Jesus and
said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little
child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you
solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as this little
child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little
child likethisa in my name welcomes me. But anyone who is an
obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith in me would be
better drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck.
Alas for the world that there should be such obstacles! Obstacles indeed there
must be, but alas for the man who provides them! See that you never despise any
of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are
continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’”
This narrative has also a parallel
with Mk. 9:33-37 and Lk. 9:46-48. Let us also see if these three parallels
concerning the second account of the incident of Jesus with the children agree.
In Mk. 9:33-37 it says: “They
came to Capernaum and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you
arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing
which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and
said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and
servant of all’. He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his
arms round him and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little
children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me
but the one who sent me’.
In Lk. 9:46-48, it says: “An argument started between them about
which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through
their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side, and then said
to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and
anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you
all, that is the one who is great.’”
In diagram form, let us also see
the comparison between the parallels of the second account:
TEXT
INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
Mt. 18:1-7,10
At this time the disciples came to Jesus and
said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’
So he called a little child to him and set the
child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change
and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
And so, the one who makes himself as this little child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name
welcomes me. But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little
ones who have faith in me would be better drowned in the depths of the sea
with a great millstone round his neck. Alas for the world that there should
be such obstacles! Obstacles indeed there must be, but alas for the man who
provides them! See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I
tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my
Father in heaven.’
Mk. 9:33-37
They came to Capernaum and when he was in the
house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said
nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest.
So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and
said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and
servant of all’. He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put
his arms round him and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little
children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me
but the one who sent me’.
Lk. 9:46-48
An argument started between them about which of
them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their
minds.
And he took a little child and set him by his
side, and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my
name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.
Comparing the two accounts
regarding the incidentof Jesus with the children, the first one is about the
children being brought by their parents to Jesus for him to bless them and lay
his hands on their heads. But the disciples tried to put away these children
from coming to Jesus. So, Jesus was indignant and rebuked his disciples this
way: “Let the little children come to me;
do not stop them; for to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell
you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little
child will never enter it.”
The point of the first account is
that, “Anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will
never enter it.”The emphasis here is in
accepting the invitation to enter the kingdom of God in the character of a
little child. To emphasize this point, footnote a of Mt. 18:5-7 says: “That is
to say, one who through the virtue of simplicity becomes a child again, cf. Mt.
18: 4”.
The second account regarding the incident
of Jesus with the children was about the argument among the twelve disciples
which among them is the greatest, to which Jesus reacted by saying this: “‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make
himself last of all and servant of all’. He then took a little child, set
him in front of them, put his arms round him and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little
children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me
but the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is
great.’”.
The point of the second account is
that, “Anyone who welcomes one of these little
children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me
but the one who sent me”. The point
here is about welcoming Jesus Christ and the Father whom they welcomewhen the
disciples welcome the little ones in Jesus’ name.
The commonality of their theme
rests in the importance of little children, especially their character of
simplicity, whether in accepting the message about the kingdom of heaven or in
accepting the person of Jesus Christ, who is himself the messenger and apostle
of the kingdom of heaven (cf. Heb. 3:1). This is the reason why, the present
gospel is being used for the feast of the Santo Nino because of this
commonality in the theme.
The message of the first reading supports
this theme of the Santo Nino because it is about the birth of the messiah (Is.9:5).
Finally, the second reading brings
us to focus on our own becoming adopted children of God (Ep. 1:5).
What is the connection of the
message of this feast of the Santo Nino to the Reflection and Teachings of the
Desert”? Simplicity of a child as the character necessary to enter the kingdom
of God and our own adoption as children of God.
