Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is presented as the high priest and connected to the many priests that came before him in the Jewish tradition. This line of priests includes Melchizedek, as the psalm reminds us. Yet though Jesus was a priest like all these others, he also stands out from the others because he is the Son of God who endures suffering. The passage says that “he learned obedience from what he suffered.” In this, Jesus is a model for us. We too can learn obedience from our sufferings, realizing that we are not in control of everything that happens to us. Indeed, much of what happens to us is beyond our control. Despite our good intentions, even our approach to suffering can be lacking.

It is then that we also are given hope, for Jesus is our eternal salvation. We can use our sufferings to grow in patience and obedience, but yet never lose sight of the eternal salvation ultimately provided by Jesus’ own suffering, death and resurrection. In today’s gospel passage from Mark we encounter this Jesus explaining why his disciples do not fast like others. Although his answer may have seemed insufficient to those who inquired, we who know the rest of the story – his passion and death and resurrection – understand that Jesus’ life was not one of ease, as the questioners seem to imply.

As Jesus’ disciples today, we both fast and celebrate his presence among us. In some sense he has been taken away from us, and we mourn that death. Yet in another sense our high priest is always with us, and we celebrate his ongoing presence among us. In our suffering, we share in his suffering. But even when we fail in this way or when we sin, we are consoled by the knowledge that our salvation comes from Jesus. Let us take some time today to reflect on this mystery of suffering and salvation in the person of Jesus.

- Maria Morrow