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On first reading I find a disconnect between the responsorial psalm and the very brief gospel for today. With this psalm I envision and hear the celebration in the Heavens and if I could carry a note I would belt out a song of praise. This is a scene I want to be a part of; this is the God that I yearn to be one with. Then I read the gospel and saw a very different scene in which Jesus was viewed by his relatives as being crazy. I do not know who Mark is referring to as “his relatives” but I guess they must be people who are close to him, who have heard his message on multiple occasions and in multiple ways and yet they do not get it. There seems to be such a contrast between Jesus on earth being called crazy and his father in heaven amidst shouts of praise as King of the nations. How do I apply this to my life? I know that I am one to worry too much about what other people think or say about me. That concern has prevented me from speaking up when I knew that I should have taken a stand. The gospel message prompts me to reflect on whose opinion really matters. It reminds me that I will never be alone in such circumstances because Christ has been there too. I ask Christ for the courage to take strength from his presence the next time. It also reminds me that I cannot expect that there will always be the Glories and Hallelujahs in this life. However, I will relish the times when they are here. As I look out my office window and see the pink clouds of dusk in the sky, I know that the “Lord the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth”. I see the simple beauty He has created for us and I am truly in awe that He cares for me even when I am a coward. |