Tuesday 23 January 2024

Today is Tuesday the 23rd of January, in the third week of Ordinary Time.

Steffany Gretzinger sings, ‘Knowing You’.

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wants to own
All I once thought gain, I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord
Now my heart's desire is to know You more
To be found in You and known as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord
Oh, to know the power of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death, oh Lord
So with You to live and never die
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord




Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 3:31-35

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

Place yourself into the scene now and picture Jesus’ “mother and brothers” now… Why do you think it was that they sent to him and were calling him? Why were they trying to speak to him?

Look at Jesus’s response. Imagine that you’re one of the crowd. How does it make you feel?

Now imagine that you’re Jesus’s mother, or one of his brothers? How do you feel trying to reach him, with so many other people around?

Now listen to the passage again. Is there one phrase in the text that sums it all up for you? What is that phrase?

“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." You might like to close today’s prayer by asking for a stirred desire to do the will of 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.