Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, the disciples still do not understand Jesus even though they have been traveling with him for a long time, listening to his teachings and witnessing his miracles. Reading this passage led me to ask myself if I understand Jesus. As a cradle Catholic, Jesus has always been in my life, and many times I took him for granted. This story in the Gospel can help us comprehend better who Jesus is.
This passage references two of Jesus’ miracles that happened earlier: feeding the five thousand (Mark 6:34-44) and feeding the four thousand (Mark 8:1-10). Both times, Jesus had pity for the crowd. In our culture, pity can imply belittling and being pathetic; however, in this case, Jesus showed us that he was empathetic toward the crowd and the human condition of hunger. Growing up, I was taught that Jesus tells us to act compassionately by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, taking care of the sick, and visiting the imprisoned (Matthew 26:31-46). Nonetheless, I think we miss that Jesus empathized with those who suffer. Therefore, we are called to be compassionate and take care of each other. As we learned in yesterday’s Gospel, no other sign to do this will be given other than Jesus’ miracles in which the primary objective is not to show power but compassion for others.
This call to compassion leads to peace. Today’s Responsorial Psalm is “The Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 21:11b). By giving us Jesus, God is blessing us with peace. Peace not only through the person of Jesus but also in his actions and example we imitate as his disciples. Let us all exemplify and be witnesses to the peace and compassion of the Gospel.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI