In Chapter Two, Jesus heals a paralytic, calls Levi, son of Alphaeus, and answers a question about his disciples and why they are not fasting. We learn that the Son of Man is Lord – even of the Sabbath.
Reading Mark in Advent is an 18-part podcast series that sees us upload a chapter of Mark’s Gospel each weekday of the season.
With a global pandemic sweeping the world and lockdowns and restrictions placed on our everyday living – not to mention patterns of worship and prayer – this is very much “the Word in Lockdown”.
But the Word of God is never locked down, isolated and contained. As Pope Francis says:
“The word of God is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12); it does not die, nor does it age, but it remains for ever (cf. 1 Peter 1:25). It stays young in the presence of all that passes away (cf. Matthew 25:35) and preserves those who put it into practice from inner aging.”
In Chapter Nine, at the top of a high mountain, Jesus is transfigured in front of Peter, James and John. Jesus heals a boy...
In Chapter Six, Jesus marvels at the lack of belief shown by people in his home town of Nazareth – despite his healings. He...
Chapter Eight starts with Jesus showing compassion to the great crowd that has gathered before him. He feeds them. Then he tells the Pharisees...