Thursday, January 23, 2003
2nd Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Heb 7:25-8:6
Gospel: Mk 3:7-12

Jesus and his disciples withdrew to the lakeside and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. A great number of people also came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Transjordan and from the region of Tyre and Sidon, for they had heard of all that he was doing.

Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready for him, to prevent the people from crushing him. He healed so many that all who had diseases kept pressing towards him to touch him. Even the people who had evil spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and cry out, "You are the Son of God."

But he warned them sternly not to tell anyone who he was.

Gospel Commentary

There is majesty, an indescribable dignity to Jesus, in today's gospel. Here he is, the center of a virtual mob. They come from everywhere: not just from Galilee, but from a hundred miles away to the south, from Jerusalem and Judea; and even further south than that, from Idummaea, near Arabia. From the east side of Jordan, they come; and from the Northwest, from Gentile territory, from Tyre and Sidon, they come. The people who mob him, nearly crushing him to death as they rush forward to touch him, are people in pain. Amidst their sweat and noise, amidst the shrieking of the expelled demons, Jesus appears calm, unafraid, healing the sick, imposing silence on the demons with the authority of a sovereign. Where does this dignity, this combined self-possession and compassion of Jesus come from? What is its inner source?

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