Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Tody's Mass Readings
In the recent readings from the Gospel of Mark, we have seen crowds pressing in upon Jesus and various peoples – men, women, Jews, Gentiles, sinners, the righteous, etc. – pursuing him from various places. Today’s passage highlights the many geographical locations from which these people came to pursue Jesus. Why might all of these people have sought out Jesus? Was it simply out of a curiosity to see the miracles and wonders associated with him? Were they driven to him out of a great need, perhaps for healing? These people did not know what was to come: Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. But for us, this is the important part of the story. Jesus did not come merely to perform some healings of people we do not know in a land far away. Jesus was sent for us because of the Father’s love, and hence the first line of today’s reading from the letter to the Hebrews reads: “Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession through him” (Heb 7:25). This is happening now—Jesus is able to save us today and every day. Hebrews makes the liturgical aspect of Jesus primary. He is our high priest who offers the sacrifice of himself once and for all. We participate in this sacrificial offering every time that we attend the holy Mass.
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice exhibited in his life, death and resurrection, we now pursue him as did those crowds. We seek our high priest knowing that he has saved us, he is saving us, and he will save us. Although we may not be able to receive him every day in the Eucharist, we can still respond joyfully to the salvation he provides us by living a Christian life that witnesses to the great love he gifted us in the sacrifice of himself. We ought not to look at this gift from afar. Rather we enter into the joy that is the salvation of Jesus by responding with whole heart in the words of today’s psalm response: “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will!” (Ps. 40:8a and 9a).
- Maria Morrow