Tuesday, February 15, 2022

 Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 5:5-8.7:1-5.10; Mark 8:14-21)

On top of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, stone statues overlook the city.  They represent the twelve apostles who struggled to win the world for Christ.  Each member of the band appears magnificent in wisdom and strength.  We are challenged to reconcile these figures with the fumbling disciples in today’s gospel. 

The twelve have twice witnessed Jesus distribute hundreds of times more bread than was on hand.  Yet they worry about not having food with them in the boat.  They overlook the one loaf that is with them.  That is the Lord himself!  Like many people, the twelve cannot see beyond their condition of scarcity.  They cannot see that in Christ’s company they will always have more than enough.

Bumpkins as they are at this point, Jesus still has to warn the disciples about vanity!  It is the leaven of the Pharisees.  Like leaven in dough, vanity makes the Pharisees refuse to accept Jesus as a legitimate teacher.  They demand a sign from God for them to believe.  Vanity, in this sense, puffs one’s face so that the person cannot notice the presence of God.  Jesus is indicating to his disciples that they must trust him.  They and we are neither to obsess about what is lacking nor to overlook Jesus’ power.  Rather, we must put our faith in Jesus.