Lead in: Scholar Peter Nixon makes a good point. With the political climate the way it was under the oppression of Rome, one wonders if the crowd following Jesus out of Jericho may have been expecting a “triumphant march on Jerusalem.” It’s no wonder that the crowd...

Lead in: In Mark 10:35, we hear how James and John came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Jesus replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and...

Lead in: In Mark 10, Jesus invites a young man to sellwhat he owns so he can follow as his disciple. But that’s the last thing the young man was expecting to hear. So, he went away sad for he was hanging on to things that he was not yet ready to let go of.Prompt: What...

Lead in: In Mark 10, the people bring children to Jesus hoping he might bless them.  The disciples try to shoo the children away.  But Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.”  As the child embraces those who care for them, so the Kingdom is for those who are humble...

Lead in: In Mark 9, Jesus’ disciples wanted Jesus to stop someone who was driving out demons in his name. Jesus’ response was, “Do not try to prevent him.” Jesus’ response challenges us be open to God working in our world in and through unlikely people.Prompt: Reflect...

Lead in: Whatever Jesus was preaching about, it seems the disciples were always slow to get it. In Mark 9, Jesus has just predicted his pending death, and what do the disciples do? They start arguing amongthemselves about who’s the greatest. Jesus intervenes, “What...

Lead in: “Who am I?”, Jesus asks in Mark 8. Peter gets it right, “You are the Messiah, the Christ.” But when he hears Jesus speak of how he will suffer and then be put to death, Peter falters. That’s not the kind of Messiah he wants to follow. So, Peter tries to...

Lead in: What if one day you were not able to speak or hear? How isolating that would be!In Mark 7, Jesus encounters such a man, a deaf-mute. His disability leaves him isolated from a world he wants to be part of.Prompt: Reflect on a time when you felt isolated from a...

Lead in: The Pharisees along with some scholars from Jerusalem noticed that some of Jesus’ disciples were not being careful with ritual washings before meals. So they asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples brush off the rules and eat without washing their hands?” In...

Lead in: In John 6, Jesus boldly tells the crowds, “Unless you eat my flesh, you have no life within you.” On hearing this, many decided to leave Jesus. In a homily, Pope Francis offers insight as to why this happened. In saying this, Jesus indicated that God’s love...