Monday, January 12
1st Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: 1S 1:1-8
Gospel: Mk 1:14-20

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, "The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News."

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." At once, they abandoned their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

Commentary

THE gospels are not big books, nor even small books; they would be better described as booklets. Mark's is the shortest, about 25 pages. That means that all the content is compressed. Mark's style is above all rapid: he often uses words like "immediately" and "straight away." When he says in today's reading, "Jesus saw Simon and his brother and said to them, 'Follow me,' and at once they left their nets and followed him," this owes much to Mark's style of writing. Likewise when "he saw James and John and immediately called them and they followed," this is more quickly said than done.

But we have plenty of time, we can dwell on it and let it expand to a long conversation. We see everything with hindsight: we see things that were not seen then. We see the utterly compelling presence of the Son of God, crucified and risen. They saw a man from the backwater town of Nazareth. Whatever attracted them at the first meeting, it was his lengthy conversations, the freshness of his thinking, his compassion, that held them.

When we are confused and distressed we can take time to sit down by the lake (any lake-or indeed anywhere) and enter into deep conversation with him, listening to his deep mind and great heart.

TOP