Blog
Viewing entries posted in February 2012
Forgive and be forgiven - the path to health: This Sunday's gospel
Posted by Br Kieran Fenn on 16 February 2012 | 0 Comments7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:1-12. This passage is a healing miracle wrapped around a controversy story concerning Jesus’ (and the church’s) authority to forgive sin.
Forgiveness of sin paves the way for recovery of health. The reaction of the scribes is the very human one of seeing that on human lips a declaration of forgiveness is blasphemous, while to command a paralysed man to get up and walk is ridiculous, since it lies beyond human capacity to make each command effective. For Jesus who calls on the power of his Abba, both are possible.
Outcasts no longer are now included - Sunday's gospel
Posted by Br Kieran Fenn on 10 February 2012 | 0 Comments6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1:40-45: Again we see Jesus confronting the ‘uncleanness’ associated with demonic control of human life.
This ‘leprosy’ (any skin infection rather than our understanding of Hansen’s disease) was the one illness regarded as punishment from God with extreme social and religious exclusion as prescribed. Yet this leper approaches Jesus in defiance of all the barriers placed against his action. The power to heal leprosy belongs to God alone, and the only issue is whether Jesus ‘wants to’. Again we see the flow of healing is from Jesus to the unfortunate leper, and not infection flowing in the opposite direction.
This Sunday's Gospel
Posted by Brother Kieran on 1 February 2012 | 0 CommentsSunday 5 in Ordinary Time - the Reign of God breaks into history with the healing Jesus brings...Mark 1:29-39