Daily Scriptures Reflection for 5/28/13

Scripture: Lectionary 348. May 28. Sirach 25:1-12. Psalm 50:5-6.7-8, 14.23. Mark 10:28-31:

Peter is the most spontaneous and passionate among the apostles We learn from Mark, the faithful follower of Peter, according to a good tradition, that Peter is “moved” to state his concern of what he and the other apostles will have if they follow Jesus. After all, they have given up everything in this mysterious journey with Jesus. What is in it for us? Do we have anything coming from this? Jesus calmly states that they, Peter and the apostles, will have many brothers, sisters, children, and even homes by following him. We may wonder why wives have not been mentioned! This is the positive side of Jesus’ answer. The negative is that they will have to expect persecution. Mark continually reminds us that the Gospel he gives us is a Gospel of the Cross. We apply the words to our own following of Christ and realize that Mark was probably recording these words for his own community and for those of the primitive church in the necessary call to discipleship. The Paschal Mystery is the foundation for Mark and that means sufferings, death, and resurrection in that order for all who respond to the call of the mission to be disciples and apostles. We may realize the positive dimension of the call in what is said in the Acts of the Apostles in several of the summaries that Luke gives us about the newly born communities of disciples (Acts 2:43-47). The passage for our meditation though small and precise may be a summary of what is said in Mark 9:30-10:30.

Personally, in reflecting on this passage, I am led by the Spirit to think of my call to be an apostle and disciple of Jesus. I with others am sent to bring the Good News to others and to learn more about it in doing so and meeting more of God’s people. It is a call to renewed commitment and to a deeper love of Jesus. This will help me to understand the sufferings and death part of the call because the resurrection is also part of the mysterious journey with Jesus in my daily response to the call. This helps me to appreciate the good times and the difficult moments and events that occur. Amen.