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Gospel Of Mark Analysis Essay

Decent Essays

In the Gospel of Mark, which provides the gospel passage for most Sundays this year, we heard at the Easter Vigil less than a week ago, Mark’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb.

At the close of the narrative, Mark depicted the women disciples fleeing in amazement, not saying anything to anyone out of fear (Mark 16.8).

Other scenes at that first Easter find the apostles cowering behind locked doors, afraid of being exposed as followers of Jesus of Nazareth (John 20.19)—that will be this Sunday’s gospel.

John has chosen the painting of Jesus accompanying two disciples on the Road to Emmaus by Robert Zund for the memorial card of his ordination. The image recalls how we can have all the details of Easter morning and yet be unable to …show more content…

To return there, then, means reviving the memory of that moment—however and whenever it happened—when I sensed His eyes meet mine, the moment when He made me realize that He loved me.

Tonight, each of us can ask, “Where and what is my Galilee? Do I remember it? Have I forgotten it?” At key points in my life, I may need to seek it again and treasure it more profoundly. For often, it is there that the Lord is waiting.

Sometime, I might have to ask, “Have I gone off on roads and paths that made me forget it?” Then, I need to call out, Lord, help me: show me your presence; for I want to return there to encounter you and to let myself be embraced by your mercy. I want Him to say again to me, “Do not be afraid, do not fear, return to Galilee! I go ahead of you!”

In today’s episode found in John’s gospel, we see the disciples back in Galilee, back doing what was familiar—fishing—but on this occasion without anything to show for it. That is, until Jesus, in the guise of a stranger, greets them on the shore and points them to an abundant harvest from the Sea of Galilee as they obediently follow his …show more content…

We might say that, in this text, their original Galilee experience of their call is renewed.

Shortly after this episode Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him and, each time, entrusts to him the task that He had performed for the seven of them on the seashore, namely to “feed My sheep,” that is, guiding them, teaching them and sanctifying them.

Renewed by Jesus’ ministrations and fellowship, Peter and the others go forth and, after Pentecost, boldly proclaimed the Name of Jesus to all in Jerusalem and beyond, as we see throughout this Easter season in the readings from the Acts of the Apostles.

John chose the second reading for this occasion. In it, we hear part of an early baptismal homily attributed to St. Peter. It speaks of Christ constructing the Church, with all of his disciples having a role to play in becoming a royal priesthood, a holy nation. As God’s own people, they are to proclaim to everyone God’s marvellous deeds. We witness this evening a marvellous deed in God’s call to John later in his life to embrace a new family, and a new, spiritual

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