St Claude de la Colombière

Today is Monday the 15 February, the feast of St Claude de la Colombière SJ.

Salt of the Sound sing ‘It is Well with my Soul’. Can you make these your own words today?

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

“The Pharisees came…to test him” we hear. What does this speak to you about the mood of this passage?

“[Jesus] sighed deeply in his spirit”. What emotion do you imagine that is Jesus expressing here? Can you identify with what he is feeling?

Jesus is being asked for “A sign from heaven”. Have you ever found yourself asking for this? Perhaps you are asking for this at the moment during the pandemic. Reflect on this as you listen again to the passage…

Finally, try and put together all that you are feeling now, in the form of a prayer to God or to Jesus.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.