The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lady of Fatima



Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
James 1:12-18
Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
Mark 8:14-21



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

The Leaven of the Pharisees . . . (Mark 8:15)

Yep, there can be no doubt about it. When the apostles put their minds to it, they could be as dense and as opaque as platinum. Jesus speaks of the "leaven of the Pharisees," and they conclude that He's talking about it because they forgot to bring bread. Jesus goes on to remind them about the miracles of the loaves and how little bread mattered. But they still don't get it. "Do you still not understand?"

We're a bit like the apostles, tied to the mundane, looking for the knob when Jesus says He's the door, or the lever when He claims to be a gate. We look at each other and wonder what Jesus could have been about when He called us sheep ‘cause we don't have big fluffy fur.

Yes, today we've proven we can be at least as dense as the apostles without even trying. But what is heartening in all of that is Jesus isn't giving us a quiz. He's not demanding that we be the brightest bulbs on the tree. In fact, despite the aggravation of dealing with such literal-minded people, Jesus loved the apostles intensely—to the death. And so He loves us too.

Don't berate yourself if you don't get it. People who were standing right there listening to the words as they came out of the mouth of Jesus didn't get it. But He got them, and He also received the rest of us as a gift when He gave Himself as the greatest gift. Understanding isn't everything. It isn't necessary to understand much, but we are called to love much—that is the saving Grace He has given us.

- JuandelaCruz | email: sriddle415 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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