Tuesday 21 February 2023

Today is Tuesday the 21st of February, in the 7th week of Ordinary time.

Juliano Ravanello sings Pater Noster, a setting of the Lord’s Prayer. You might like to pray the Our Father as you listen and settle into prayer today.


Pater noster qui es in coelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
adveniat regnum tuum,
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in coelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
et ne nos inducas in tentationem
sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.


Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.


Mark 9:30-37


They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

At this time of the year, the Church is starting to think of the long Lenten journey to Easter; and Mark’s gospel is always engaged on that journey. Today’s gospel is the second of three predictions of the sufferings of Jesus that await him at the end of Lent.


We hear that those listening “did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him”. Why do you think they were afraid? Place yourself in their shoes… would you also have been afraid?


“What were you arguing about on the way?” What were they arguing about?

Jesus produces a “little child” as a visual aid for his teaching. What can this child teach us? Notice what your response is to this particular moment…


Now listen once more to this passage, and ask “What is Jesus saying to his disciples? What is he saying to me today?”


Finally, see if you can bring together all the thoughts and feelings that you have experienced during this time, and turn them into a prayer to God…

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.