Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 6:60–69. This text contains the response of Jesus’ own disciples to His discourse on the Bread of Life. This teaching is a decisive point for all disciples who must choose to accept or reject what our Lord is revealing in this passage. This passage represents the various possible responses to Jesus’ teaching: Murmuring (vs. 61), Disbelief (vs. 64), Betrayal (vs. 64), Rejection (vs. 66) and finally Peter’s Confession of faith (vs. 68). Our acceptance or rejection of this teaching occurs on both conceptual and practical levels. Certainly, Jesus intended that the Eucharist would be the source of unity and communion for all believers, but this Gospel passage reminds us that it can be an unintended source of division. Let’s study this important passage carefully to see what insights it can offer us for our lives as disciples.

One of the most striking features of this passage is that Jesus does not soften His teaching in any way or attempt to diminish the powerful message He has communicated. Rather, the Lord continues to reiterate the absolute necessity of accepting Him as the Revealer of God’s Word and His crucified flesh and poured-out blood given for us in the Eucharist as the reality of God’s love. We need to remember that it was our Lord’s own disciples who objected to this teaching and not unbelievers. If Jesus had meant anything other than the reality of His own flesh and blood becoming real food and drink in the Eucharist, He would have taken this opportunity to clarify and explain the misunderstanding to the disciples who were questioning the teaching. This would have been the perfect time for the Lord to give His teaching a symbolic understanding or to explain to the disciples that they could still follow Him without accepting this challenging revelation.

However, the Lord did not offer any symbolic interpretation or any exemption for discipleship. When the disciples object to His teaching, they call it “hard”. This is a word that means “unacceptable” or “offensive”. Indeed, throughout history there have been people who have considered the message of our Lord’s presence in the Eucharist to be offensive or difficult and who have tried to explain it in more palatable ways or in a manner that is easier to understand. On the one hand, the early Church Fathers (especially Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus of Lyon, John Chrysostom, and Augustine) all defended the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and focused their teaching on the effects that reception of the Sacrament should have in the lives of Christians. Pascasio Radberto (c. 785–860) was one of the first medieval theologians to confront a developing symbolic interpretation of the Eucharist by emphasizing the realism of Jesus’ presence. On the other hand, Berengar of Tours (c. 1000–1088) represented a school of thought that began to promote a position of ultra symbolism, which emphasized a moral emphasis to the Eucharist. In response to ongoing medieval controversies, Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) promoted the metaphysical principle of transubstantiation to explain the real presence of Jesus in the form of bread and wine. Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and The Anglican Bill of Thirty-Nine Articles (especially Articles 28 and 29) all had difficulty with the explicit teaching of the enduring Real Presence of Jesus’ Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist and sought to explain it in terms based on the faith experience of the congregation or other aspects.

In response to these attempts to render the teaching on the Eucharist more acceptable and understandable, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the reality of our Lord’s true and enduring presence in the Eucharist. This historical summary simply shows that religious people of serious intent have historically struggled, with more or less success, in an effort to accept, understand, and express the teaching on the Eucharist. What is consistent in this historical survey is clear: Any attempt to reduce the Eucharist to a merely symbolic presence has been repeatedly and consistently rejected by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord’s words remain as challenging today as they were nearly two thousand years ago. His teaching is not ours to change but to accept. Jesus did not alter His teaching according to the capacity of the disciples to understand, but rather challenged them to accept His Word as it was presented to them.

How is practical disbelief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist expressed today in people’s actions at Mass? 

When have you been challenged to deepen your belief in the Eucharist and change the way you receive our Lord in Communion? 

If you were in Jesus’ situation and disciples were leaving you because of what you had said, what would you have done? 

The Eucharist is meant to be the source of our communion but can sometimes become the cause of our division; what does this statement mean to you and how does our Lord’s experience in this Gospel passage challenge you to work for greater Christian union? 

If you were asked to explain the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist to someone who was not a disciple, how would you do it? 

How do you express your belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? 

Our Lord then goes on to address the disciples’ disbelief by identifying the source of their doubt: They are attempting to understand the mysteries of God with limited human knowledge and experience. Jesus specifically says, “The flesh is of no avail.” The Gospel of John uses the word “flesh” (Greek sarx) thirteen times to refer both to the flesh of Jesus and the flesh of human beings. The flesh of Jesus manifests the Divine Presence, makes the love of God known to the world, and is the source of our life (because Jesus is the Eternal Word of God who became Flesh and dwelt among us; as God, He can give us His Flesh as Bread in the Eucharist). The flesh of human beings, however, is limited in understanding and only sees what is “below”, a term that means the things of this world. As such, the flesh of human beings only perceives on a superficial or physical level and is not able to grasp the divine presence operative in the world.

By pointing out the danger of using superficial human experience as the basis for faith, Jesus is cautioning the doubtful disciples to let go of their human expectations and to accept His divine revelation. It is through this divine revelation in the Word of Jesus that the Spirit is offered to disciples. The response of the doubtful disciples is explicitly identified as “murmuring” or “grumbling”. This term indicates that they are now responding to Jesus in the same was as non-believers did in the preceding verses and that they were following the Lord for earthly reasons rather than divine reasons (that is, they perceived Jesus as a great prophet, messiah, or teacher rather than as the presence of God incarnate). Jesus recognized that their inability to accept His teaching stemmed from their erroneous faith, and so the Lord challenges them with the interesting phrase, “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” The presumption is that the disciples would then understand Jesus’ divine nature and would accept His instruction and authority. This passage is teaching us that our ability to accept Jesus’ teaching in an uncompromising way must be based on our firm belief in His divine nature. If we believe Jesus to be anything less than the Son of God incarnate, who represents completely and authentically the Father, then we will reduce our Lord’s teaching to mere opinion rather than the revelation of that truth necessary for salvation. That is what the doubtful disciples were doing: reducing Jesus to what they could understand, and because of their lack of faith in who He was, they ended up rejecting what He taught.

We need to remember that these disciples are the very ones who received privileged insights, special revelation, and prolonged association with the Lord. Despite these tremendous advantages they now walk away. This is an important caution for us as disciples lest we unintentionally follow their erroneous ways. Sometimes we can feel privileged because we have been given great experiences of faith, opportunities for ministry involvement, or special theological insights. This passage cautions us that discipleship is not based on information, association, or involvement but on our acceptance of Jesus’ Word as people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father. If we are rejecting any word of Jesus then we are resisting the Holy Spirit and the invitation of the Father. Jesus’ Word is as challenging for us today as it was for the disciples two thousand years ago. In order for us to remain faithful to the Word of Jesus speaks, it is necessary to believe in His divine nature as God and to accept what He reveals, especially when we cannot understand it. It is that act of faith in the person of Jesus and utter trust in His Word that will allow us to remain faithful during difficult and challenging moments.

How are people today tempted to reduce faith to only what they can understand? 

What could attract a person to Christianity today other than a firm belief in the divinity of Jesus, and what is the danger of that attraction becoming the basis of someone’s faith?

How can our faith community help disciples move from a superficial human-flesh perception of reality to a faith-based, Jesus-flesh revelation of reality? 

What experiences have made you feel privileged in your discipleship, and how can those experiences become the basis of false confidence when it comes to remaining faithful to Jesus? 

What teachings of the Gospel and the Church do people reject today; what reasons do they give for rejecting those teachings; what does this passage identify as the underlying reasons for their rejection? 

The reality is that few people overtly or vocally reject Jesus but they do so by intentionally not following the Lord’s will in their practical lives, and by doing so they are no longer “following” Him. What are ways in which we unconsciously reject the Lord by choosing to live contrary to the values of the Gospel?

Not all the disciples reject Jesus and His teaching. Peter expresses correct faith in this passage when he says, “Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the Words of eternal life. We have come to know and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter’s confession shows that the Father is, indeed, drawing disciples to Jesus who can acknowledge in Him the presence of God. Peter’s statement of faith also demonstrates the utter obedience to Jesus that is a hallmark of authentic discipleship in the Gospel of John (see the Mother of Jesus in Jn 2:5, John the Baptist in Jn 3:29, The Samaritan Villagers in Jn 4:42, and the Royal official in Jn 4:50 for other examples of such faith). What is distinctive about Peter’s confession of faith as opposed to these previous examples is that Peter clearly identifies Jesus as being the agent of God. Peter also acknowledges that Jesus does more than simply teach a message.

Rather, Peter is expressing his faith that the Lord reveals the will of God and communicates the Spirit. Peter expresses this confidence through the use of the Greek word rhemata rather than logos when he speaks about the “Words” of Jesus. The term rhemata means more than simply “words”; it refers to the very thing being communicated. Thus, when Peter says that Jesus has the rhemata of eternal life, Peter is stating the following: What Jesus is offering (Revelation and Eucharist) is itself eternal life. This confession of faith is a profound insight and expresses the correct response for disciples. The reality is that each of us must also answer the question of Jesus when He asked, “Do you also want to leave?” If we have found our life in the things (rhemata) of Jesus then we will not leave Him, but if our life is rooted in realities apart from Jesus then our enduring discipleship remains uncertain.

What are the things that most give your life meaning? 

What part of your life is “of God”? 

What are some of the things Jesus has accomplished in your life for which you are eternally grateful? 

Peter’s acknowledgement of faith went beyond his understanding and expressed his total open acceptance to all that Jesus wants to reveal. What makes it difficult for you to express an open-ended commitment of faith to Jesus? 

Peter also says, “Lord, to whom shall we go…” Sometimes we like to maintain alternative sources of security in case we need “somewhere to go” in times of trial or distress. To what places do you go when you need security or reassurance in your life? 

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John 6:51–58. This reading warrants special attention because it contains our Lord’s very challenging teaching on the gift of the Eucharist. Let’s study some of the distinctive aspects of Jesus’ instruction in the Gospel of John in order to understand how this great gift of our Lord is meant to affect our lives as disciples.

One of the first things to notice about this reading is the language Jesus used when He instructed them to “eat” His “flesh”. This language is striking because of the graphic realism portrayed by such terms. When Jesus speaks of “eating” He uses the Greek verb trogein that usually describes the action of animals who munch, gnaw, or crunch their food. The more common and socially respectable verb would have been phagein. By using the verb trogein, Jesus is emphasizing the reality of physically consuming and digesting the Bread He will give (this verb is highly concentrated in this passage and appears four times in vs. 54, 56, 57, and 58). This physical emphasis was most likely used so as to eliminate any possible attempt to interpret His words symbolically or allegorically. When Jesus spoke of His “flesh” He used the Greek word sarx that could mean nothing other than the physical corporeal reality of His very body (the use of the term soma, meaning “body”, could be interpreted symbolically [as was done by the Docetists] but sarx had only a literal and no symbolic meaning).

It is this realism of Jesus’ teaching that shocked the crowds even more than our Lord’s identification of Himself as the revelation of God (see reflections of previous weeks). Jesus knew of their difficulty in understanding and accepting His teaching. Rather than softening His instruction to make it more palatable to the crowds, our Lord actually intensified His instruction. We see this intensification as He moves from using phragein in vs. 51 to using trogein in the rest of the passage even after they object to his statements in vs. 52. Jesus was challenging them to accept God on God’s terms and not to make the Lord’s teaching conform to their preferences, sensibilities, or limited ability to understand and accept His instruction. This passage clearly identifies the flesh (and blood) of Jesus as real food (and drink). The stress on the realism of the Eucharist as the true presence of Jesus’ Body and Blood was meant to prevent interpretations that could reduce people’s understanding of the Eucharist to a merely symbolic reality. This stress on realism was also meant to correct those who believed that faith was only a matter of knowledge (a belief held by the Gnostics) rather than a practical experience of living each day in deep physical communion with God in Jesus.

How do people interpret the reality of the Eucharist in a merely symbolic way today? 

The Docetists were an early sect that denied that the Eternal Word of God really became flesh and dwelt among us (Incarnation); they believed that Jesus was a purely a spiritual being and that we could experience Him in a spiritual (but not physical) way. How does the Docetist perspective express itself today? 

The Gnostics believed that being a person of faith meant possessing certain secret knowledge, and they emphasized the role of knowledge as being more important than living out  principles of faith in every day actions. How does the Gnostic perspective express itself today? 

Jesus did not soften His teaching in response to the crowd’s disbelief, but rather intensified it so as to stress the realism of His Flesh and Blood. How does our Lord’s teaching on the reality of the Eucharist challenge you to approach the Mass differently?

Jesus also teaches the crowds about the effect the Eucharist is meant to have in transforming the one who receives it. He says that those who eat His Flesh and drink His Blood have eternal life. No other food can change us like the Eucharist can! Well, actually there was a food mentioned in the Scriptures that changed humanity but not for the better—it was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge that introduced sin and death into the world (see Gn 3:3). The food that Jesus now gives in His Flesh and Blood has the power to overcome the death of sin and make us sharers in the life of Grace. We have a common expression that says, “You are what you eat”; with reception of the Eucharist as a believing Christian, we truly can become members of Christ’s body who share in eternal life and participate in the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because of this effect of the Eucharist we are actually “divinized” by our physical communion with Jesus. It is important to note that Jesus so closely identifies His very self with the reality of food and drink that He can say in vs. 57, “He who eats me will live because of me.” The gift of the Eucharist is the gift of the very person of Jesus. He offers more to us than His teaching, example, or personal friendship—He offers His very self! This is a powerful insight into John’s theology of the Eucharist. Namely, the Eucharist brings us into a physical participation with the life of Jesus and that participation is an abiding relationship (see vs. 56) that allows us access to the life-giving love between the Father and the Son. Jesus doesn’t just tell us about this relationship with the Father; He offers to share it with us in Himself.

How do sin and spiritual death surround your life each week? 

How can your sharing in the Eucharist help you overcome the toxic environments you face? 

Most food we eat is transformed into us. How does this teaching on the power of the Eucharist help to transform us (divinize) and increase  our desire for more frequent reception of our Lord’s Flesh and Blood?

Jesus stresses the necessity of receiving Him as the Bread of Life and He identifies that Bread in two ways: as His Revelation (Word) and as His Flesh (Eucharist). What happens when someone receives His Word but not His Flesh? 

What happens when someone receives His Flesh but not His Word? 

Why do you think Jesus stressed the importance of both actions of reception in order for disciples to participate fully in His gift of eternal life?

Our Lord uses an important phrase when He addresses the misunderstanding of the crowd. He says “Amen, Amen.” This is the same word that we use when we receive the Eucharist and the Body and Blood of the Lord is presented to us. The word “amen” is an ancient term that comes from either Hebrew or Aramaic. It is difficult to translate which is why we continue to use it rather than an English expression in our prayer today. The word “amen” has meanings that include, but are not limited to, the following: “It is true”, “I believe”, “It is firm”, “It is certain”, “It is trustworthy”, “It is validated”, “It is dependable”, and “I am in agreement”. Sometimes people can be tempted to use an English expression instead of this ancient term, but any attempt to translate it inevitably reduces and limits its meaning. Jesus reaffirmed the truth of what He was saying because the crowd would not accept His teaching. Their difficulty is understandable in light of the many Old Testament’s teachings against consuming blood (see Gn 9:2–4, Lev 17:10–14, Dt 12:16). That prohibition was based on the belief that blood was the principle of life and belonged to God alone.

In the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus specifically wants us to share in His divine life and so our Lord changes the prohibition to an invitation and even a commandment. The Body and Blood of Jesus is the source of our communion with God and not the cause of our alienation. Jesus reaffirms that this teaching is true, dependable, and must be accepted and lived by the Christian disciple. When we come forward to receive the Eucharist we respond by saying “Amen.” In doing so, we are making a complete and irrevocable gift of our lives to God who is giving His life to us in the Flesh and Blood of His Son. We are not only professing our belief in what the Eucharist is (the reality of Jesus’ presence), we are also confirming our desire and openness to be transformed by that reality so that we no longer live for ourselves, but it is Christ who lives in us (see Gal 2:20). We are also saying that there is no other reality in our lives that will define us or shape our values more than the person of Jesus Christ. Ultimately we are saying that the one belief on which we are willing to base our lives, no matter what happens, is the belief that Jesus Christ is present to us in the Eucharist.

How does this understanding of the term “Amen” inform, inspire, and challenge you as you come forward to receive the Eucharist? 

The teaching of Jesus went against the social and religious sensibilities of the crowd. How does our Lord’s teaching challenge your sensibilities? 

Jesus has the power to turn the cause of our alienation into the source of our Communion. What alienates you from God and how can that part of your life became an occasion of grace instead?

When we say “Amen,” we are stating our agreement to everything Jesus intends in the Eucharist, not only to that which we can understand. In what way is our “Amen” an open-ended statement of faith that develops and matures as we grow in discipleship?

This passage begins and ends with a reference to Jesus being the bread that came down from heaven. This divine descent of God’s presence into the world began in the first chapter of John’s Gospel when we were told that the Eternal Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us (see Jn 1:1,14). The descent continues when we are told in John 3:16 and 3:18 that God gave and sent His Son so that the world might be saved and have life. Now in John 6:51–58 we are informed of how we share in that life promised earlier in the Gospel. At this point we need to remember the fragments (klasmata) that were taken up following the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes in John 6:12–13. These fragments have been in the background throughout the entire sixth chapter of John. Jesus, the eternal Word of God incarnate, will continue to give Himself for us on the Cross of Calvary in the separation of His flesh and blood. This sacrifice will be made present for us to participate in when our Lord gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. Jesus dwelt among us (literally, “tabernacle” Jn 1:14) so that we could become a living tabernacle of His presence when we receive Him in the Eucharist.

This passage tells us that Jesus “will give” this bread to us, and the use of the future tense of the verb is meant to signify that the Eucharistic sacrifice will be fulfilled in our Lord’s suffering and death. This sacrifice is then made present to us in the Eucharist throughout time as we continue to receive from the twelve baskets of fragments collected from the feeding of the multitudes. It requires the eyes of faith to encounter God in the broken flesh and poured-out blood of Jesus on the Cross. Our decision to accept that moment as the ultimate revelation of God’s love is the faith that grants us access to God’s life in Baptism and the Eucharist (symbol of water and blood flowing from the side of Jesus in Jn 19:34). Our participation in that love takes place through our eating and drinking of the Lord’s Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist. In doing so, we become a living tabernacle of Jesus in the world. The Eternal Word who became Flesh now offers His Flesh as Bread so that we can become that bread for others. Thus, God continues to give the Son from the Incarnation, through the Cross of Calvary, through the Eucharist, and through us to the world. The fact that Jesus is the source of life has been emphasized throughout the first six chapters of John’s Gospel. Now in this passage we are taught how we are to share in the gift of Jesus’ life.

What responsibility do you assume every time you receive the Eucharist? 

How does the Eucharist, as a manifestation of God’s love, challenge you to love more selflessly and sacrificially in your life? 

How does the connection between the Cross of Calvary and the Flesh and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist challenge you to receive the Eucharist with greater awareness and reverence? 

How can the image of being a “living tabernacle” inspire you as you go forth from church each Sunday?

Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 6:30–34. In this reading we hear of Jesus calling the apostles to rest with Him. The crowds follow, and eventually Jesus responds by teaching them and feeding them like a shepherd caring for His sheep. This simple scene in the Gospel of Mark offers some important insights for us as we carry out our Lord’s ministry as well.

The word “apostle” means someone who is “sent out” and in Mark 6:7 we read about Jesus sending the Twelve on mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God in word and action. Now the Twelve (the “sent ones”) return to Jesus to report on their efforts. Jesus responds by inviting them to rest in a deserted place. The biblical notion of rest is founded in the Book of Genesis where God “rested” on the seventh day establishing the experience of rest as a gift to humanity (see Gn 2:2–3). This gift of rest is not primarily to alleviate exhaustion but to foster a contemplative appreciation for having shared in God’s creative and redemptive work. This spiritual rest is meant to foster and deepen our intimate relationship with the Lord so that our efforts of ministry are not just “working for God” but a “participation in God’s work”. There is a big difference between those two approaches to ministry. It is the experience of regular spiritual rest and appreciative contemplation with God that allows us to know the mind of Christ and to do God’s will with eagerness, generosity, and freedom. Jesus wanted the twelve apostles to have this experience of spiritual rest so they could better understand how their efforts participated in God’s divine will for the world. The passage then goes to tell us that the crowds kept coming in large numbers and so they sought to go away by themselves in a boat. The continuous needs of the crowds remind us that there is always more work to be done and that a disciple must balance the need for contemplative rest in Christ with the need for ministry to others. One dimension of discipleship is not possible without the other. If we only work tirelessly to serve the needs of others then we run the risk of becoming detached from the life-giving relationship with Christ that is the foundation of our identity as disciples. If we only seek to be withdrawn in contemplative rest with Christ then we can fail to accomplish the ministry of Jesus entrusted to us, which the world so desperately needs. It is important for disciples to balance these two important dimensions of their faith lives so they can be effective and responsive instruments of God.

What time do you set aside in your schedule for regular, contemplative, appreciative rest with God? 

How are you tempted to cut short your spiritual rest in order to carry out the overwhelming duties and responsibilities of discipleship? 

What opportunities exist for you to spend extended time with the Lord, and what holds you back from accepting those opportunities?

The crowd was perceived as an inconvenient burden by the apostles. We are told that they were not even able to eat because of the people who came to them in large numbers. The disciples responded by trying to evade the crowds so as to care for their own needs. Jesus perceives the crowds in a different way, however. Rather than being a problem, Jesus sees the crowds as a blessed opportunity that allowed the Lord to carry out His ministry. These two differing perceptions challenge us to be careful in how we perceive and respond to circumstances as well. Sometimes it can be easy for disciples to feel burdened by the questions or needs of others. Sometimes another person’s desire to explore faith can even become inconvenient and problematic for us because of the time and preparation it takes to respond. Jesus sees such moments as open possibilities for bringing the Gospel into people’s lives. The Lord is showing us in this passage that we should be eager and thankful when we have the opportunity to affect and influence people with the gift of faith.

When have the demands of a successful ministry experience felt problematic or burdensome to you? 

When have you experienced surprising success in a ministry that presented a ripe opportunity for you to bring the Gospel into people’s lives, and what personal sacrifices did you have to make in order to accomplish that ministry? 

Jesus understood that the presence of the crowds was a ripe moment that needed to be responded to lest it become a lost opportunity. What are ripe moments in the Church today that need urgent response and what are lost opportunities we are experiencing? 

When have you experienced the attitude of the apostles—the perception that ministry opportunities are a problematic burden—and what has been the effect of that attitude? 

Why do you think Jesus chose to teach the crowds rather than try to retreat once more with the disciples?

We are told that Jesus had compassion on the crowds because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Motivated by compassion, our Lord began to teach them many things. The image of God as a shepherd for Israel is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and features prominently in the first reading for this Sunday’s liturgy (Jer 23:1–6). Shepherds had four primary responsibilities: to gather the sheep, to guide the sheep, to protect the sheep, and to care for the sheep. Jesus presents Himself in this passage as the shepherd who fulfills all of these roles. The Lord gathered the crowds to Himself rather than sending them away and scattering them (see Mk 6:35). Jesus also teaches them in an action of loving direction and guidance for their lives (see Mk 6:34). The Lord cares for them by feeding them not only with His Word (teaching) but also with the Bread of the Eucharist (see Mk 6:37–44). Finally, the Lord protects them by confronting the efforts of those who would seek to dismiss them (see Mk 6:36–37) as well as through the ongoing ministry of healing and deliverance accomplished through the apostles.

How does Jesus continue to fulfill the responsibilities of being our shepherd today? 

In what specific ways do you need the protective, collective, caring, and guiding ministry of Jesus in your life? 

How can you make yourself open and receptive to Jesus as your shepherd? 

What can prevent people from wanting to be a member of God’s flock?

Lastly, it is interesting to note that the crowds followed Jesus for some time and over significant distances without being prepared for the journey. That is why they arrived at the end of the day with no planned provisions (see Mk 6:35–36). Obviously the crowds heard about Jesus and responded immediately to the possibility of meeting the Lord for themselves. It is rare that we would respond with such immediate initiative and lack of planning. The action of the crowd is not a statement of their irresponsibility but of the readiness of their discipleship. They were willing to drop everything in order to seek the Lord and spend time with Him. We too can be urgently motivated to respond immediately to all sorts of situations and opportunities but when it comes to disciples, we can be hesitant and even procrastinate in our response.

What urgent opportunity motivates you to drop everything and respond immediately? 

When do you find yourself responding so slowly to faith opportunities that the occasion passes before you can participate? 

How does the power of evil use the temptation of procrastination to rob people of valuable encounters with God? 

What can a faith community do to help people respond with urgency to faith opportunities?

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 6:7–13. In this text we read of how Jesus sent the Twelve on mission to do the same works our Lord was doing: proclaim the Kingdom of God, deliver people from the forces of evil, and heal their suffering. These ministries remain part of the Church’s fundamental mission even today. Let’s study this passage so that we can better understand how it challenges us to grow in discipleship and mission.

It is interesting that Jesus sent the disciples on mission while they were still being formed by the Lord. We might think that the disciples needed much more training and education before they could be sent to do the works of Jesus. After all, at this point in the Gospel the Twelve had been with Jesus for only a few weeks or so. We like to be fully prepared and credentialed before we are sent out on our own to accomplish a great work. That was true in much of the ancient world as well (remember that Aristotle spent twenty years learning from Plato before he founded his own school). In light of such lengthy times of preparation the Twelve must have felt very ill-equipped for the mission entrusted to them. However, Jesus knew that being a disciple is different from being a philosopher. Disciples can only grow as they practice and share what they themselves are in the process of receiving. Discipleship is not a program of study from which we graduate and are somehow certified for ministry; rather, discipleship can only move to a deeper level when we have learned to minister to others even as Jesus has ministered to us. Jesus called the disciples to Himself in Mark 3:13–14 for the explicit purpose that He could send them forth on mission. Now after hearing His teaching and watching His mighty works they were sent in fulfillment of the purpose for which they were first called. This passage is telling us that all disciples are, in fact, missionaries. Sometimes we can find ourselves wondering why we are not able to go deeper in our own discipleship, and this passage asks us to reflect on how well we have shared with others what we have already received. If we are keeping our experiences of faith enrichment and spiritual insights to ourselves then we are not fulfilling our missionary role as disciples.

How have you experienced Jesus’ teaching enlightening you, and what are your opportunities to share that enlightenment with others? 

How have you experienced the Lord liberating you from evil influences, and who might need to experience that liberation through you? 

What healing has Jesus effected in your life (physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual) and what are your opportunities to assist others in their healing process? 

When have you experienced growth in your discipleship because you willingly shared with others what you yourself were receiving from the Lord? 

Jesus then instructs the Twelve and prepares them for their journey. The word for “journey” is most accurately translated as “way” and indicates the original name for disciples of the Lord: they were known as “Followers of the Way” (see Acts 22:4, 9:2). The use of that word means that Jesus is not just giving an instruction for a temporary missionary journey but that the Lord is giving a lasting teaching on how disciples are to always carry out their ministry. The purpose of the walking stick was for support and protection as well as being a symbol of power and authority (see the staff Moses and Aaron carried). The commandment to bring no bread, no beggar’s bag, and no money in their belt was to remind them of their need to rely on divine providence. The beggar’s bag in particular was prohibited so as to distinguish the Twelve from other travelling philosophers and miracle workers (healers) who charged for their services and profited from their ministry. Jesus did not want His disciples to be people who sought personal gain from the ministry of the Gospel.

They were also to not wear two tunics, which may seem strange to us, and we need to remember that a tunic was an expression of who a person was (clothes were symbols of identity). The prohibition against bringing two tunics may very well have been an effort to prevent the Twelve from portraying multiple, confused, or even conflicting identities in their discipleship. It can be easy for us to have multiple aspects to our own identities based on nationality, religious confession, race, profession, family roles, civic involvements, and sports interests. This prohibition against bringing “two tunics” may be a challenge for us to define ourselves first and foremost as disciples of Jesus in every situation. Every other aspect of our identity is of lesser priority and should never confuse that primary identity.

Lastly, they were to wear sandals, which is a direct connection to how the Israelites were instructed to eat the Passover meal in preparation for their exodus from Egypt. This final command to wear sandals, in conjunction with the command to carry a staff (walking stick), implies that the Twelve were being sent by Jesus to announce a new exodus from slavery to freedom in the Christian way of life. This new exodus was the beginning of the new People of God (the Church) formed by the Twelve (representing and reconstituting the Twelve Tribes of Israel) in response to the rejection Jesus experienced in his hometown (see Mk 6:1–6).

How does the Church today continue the ministry of leading us in a new exodus from slavery to freedom? 

How does the image of carrying the staff (walking stick) help you to understand, interpret, and appreciate the ministry of the local bishop who carries a staff (crosier) as a symbol of his office? 

In what ways are we tempted to rely on our own strength rather than God’s providence for the success of our ministry and of the Church? 

How are you reminded in practical ways that God is in control of your life? 

How can the desire for personal gain by those entrusted with leadership responsibility diminish the credibility of the Gospel and effectiveness of ministry today? 

In what ways can our discipleship be compromised when other identities are allowed to be of equal or greater importance than being a disciple of Jesus (Particularly, when we try to wear “two tunics”)? 

Jesus ends His commission to the Twelve by instructing them on how to deal with both success and failure in their mission. When their message is received, they are to remain in that place and continue their ministry. It is only when their mission is unfruitful that they are to move on so that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God can continue. The reality is that the Twelve will experience both success and failure. Jesus does not want them to be surprised by that reality but to be prepared for it and to anticipate their response to it. The action of “shaking the dust from your feet” was practiced in Acts 13:51 as a warning to the people of Pisidian Antioch. This instruction acknowledges that even with the best efforts of the Twelve there will always be some people who freely choose to reject the message of the Gospel. Such rejection is not necessarily a sign of failure on the part of missionaries but of human freedom and hardness of heart. When confronted with such situations, the Twelve are encouraged to seek out other groups that will be receptive to their message rather than wasting additional time and resource trying to convert unwelcoming or unreceptive communities. This is an important message for us. We need to remember that not all of our missionary efforts will be effective or successful. Failure and rejection will be a part of the Church’s experience today just as it was the experience of Jesus and the Twelve. Rather than focusing our efforts, attention, and resources in ministries that are not working, this passage encourages us to re-focus our efforts in new ways that may be more effective. It can be safe and predictable to keep doing the same old thing, but when the same old thing isn’t working, it is time to change and grow. The Church has a responsibility to be creative and persevering in its efforts to bring the Gospel to all people. We cannot accomplish that mission if we are intent on continuing unsuccessful or unfruitful efforts.

How do you know when it is time to “move on” in your efforts to share the Gospel with others? 

What ministries of the Church are most successful in proclaiming the Kingdom of God? 

What ministries of the Church need to be re-focused so they can become more effective in accomplishing the goal of evangelization? 

How do you know when your best efforts have been put forth in a particular mission effort? 

Who are the “other communities” around you that are waiting to hear the Gospel through you? 

Lastly, this passage is an important opportunity to reflect on the ministry of the Twelve when they “anointed many sick people with oil”. This practice is also described in James 5:14–15 as part of the healing ministry of the early Church. Today we celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick by anointing with oil as well. Oil is the visible sign of the invisible healing grace of Christ. Oil (primarily olive oil) has natural properties that can assist in the healing process (see Lk 10:34 where oil was used to heal the wounds of the injured man in the Parable of the Good Samaritan). When people suffer a debilitating illness (physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual) then they experience loss of freedom, vulnerability, fear, isolation, and even abandonment. The practice of ritual anointing, and the prayer of the Church, gives strength, encouragement, healing, and spiritual grace to assist the person in their distress. It also assures them that the community of faith is standing by them in their illness and supporting them with their prayers. This prayerful support of the faith community is an important aid in helping a sick person experience weakness in a faithful way so as to grow in trusting dependence on God and others. The grace received in the Anointing of the Sick offers salvation and healing on a variety of levels.

How have you experienced the grace of the Anointing of the Sick? 

What fears or temptations have you experienced when you suffered serious illness or weakness? 

How can the prayer of the Church and this Sacrament help us overcome  our fears and temptations? 

This passage tells us that the Twelve both anointed people and healed them which implies two actions (one liturgical and one physical). Why do you think Mark wanted us to distinguish between the Sacramental act of anointing and the physical act of healing people?

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick— no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Our Scripture passage is from the Gospel of Mark 6:1–6. We read of Jesus returning to His hometown and teaching in the Synagogue. It is a significant moment for Jesus in Mark’s Gospel as it marks the last time our Lord enters a Synagogue—a place that previously He had frequented (see Mk 1:21, 1:39, and 3:1–6). The rejection Jesus experiences in this moment has something to teach us as disciples lest we become resistant to the Lord’s invitation to conversion in our lives. 

One of the reasons Jesus may have encountered difficulty in His hometown is because He acted differently from what people of His time expected of a prophet. It seems that the people were aware of our Lord’s “mighty deeds” that had been accomplished up to this point in the Gospel. These mighty deeds would include both His teaching and healing ministry. However, Jesus exercised this ministry in a way that troubled many religious people of His time (see the inclusion of Gentiles, women, and the “unclean” as members in the new family of God). When Jesus came to His hometown, He did so because He wanted those closest to Him to share in the inclusive Kingdom of God that He was establishing. However, many people did not want to be included in that Kingdom when they saw who else was already part of it! Sometimes we can approach our faith life in the same way and condition our association with Jesus on how well the Lord fulfills our agenda and expectations. However, that is not how the relationship of faith works. Jesus did not come to Earth so that He could be like us—but so that we could become like Him! Sometimes we want our Lord’s presence and attention (like the people of His hometown), but we don’t want to accept the changes of life and attitude that He asks us to undertake in order to remain in a committed relationship with Him.

How can people today have such strong expectations of Jesus that they end up turning away from Him when He doesn’t fulfill those expectations? 

When do you find it tempting to decide your participation in a parish ministry based on the other people who are involved? 

How does the phrase, “Jesus did not come to earth so that He could be like us—but so that we could become like Him” challenge you?

The other reason Jesus encountered resistance among the people of His hometown was because of His ordinariness. They not only knew Jesus and were familiar with Him but they knew Him to be from an unexceptional background (son of a carpenter and a member of an ordinary family). He was not part of the educated class who had the freedom and skills to dedicate Himself to the study of the Law. The Gospel of Luke relates that Herod actually hoped Jesus would perform some amazing miracles, demonstrations of power, or other extraordinary feats—but the Lord didn’t do that (see Lk 23:8). Nor was Jesus someone who was regarded as outstanding during His years as a child. It is precisely the ordinariness of Jesus that made it difficult for His hometown to accept that He was capable of great deeds. Great people in the ancient world were somehow known to be outstanding even from the moment of their births. The Scriptures tell us very little about Jesus’ life as a child. (It is true that the second century texts, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Protoevangelium of James, provided non-biblical stories about the childhood of Jesus. These narrations tried to satisfy the curiosity of early Christians who wanted to hear more about the deeds of Christ as a child. The Christian leaders of the early church easily disregarded these stories as an attempt to present Jesus more as a Greek hero rather than as the Eternal Word living among us.) Sometimes we expect God to act only in very extraordinary ways in our lives, yet the Lord is most often present in amazingly ordinary ways. The people of Jesus’ hometown wanted the Lord to prove to them that He was “special”, but He didn’t do that. He asked them to accept that God is present in the ordinary and to choose to respond to that presence. Jesus did not force people to accept Him or convince them of His divine nature. Sometimes we can find it easy to overlook the presence of God in the ordinary events and moments of daily life because we are looking for the extraordinary instead. This passage is a challenge for us to look at familiar things in a new way. Sometimes, too, people can experience similar difficulties of faith when the Church and individual disciples act in ordinary ways. This difficulty of faith is especially true when mistakes are made or situations of human weakness show forth on an institutional level.

When has a person of ordinary background and training shocked you with an extraordinary ability and what was your reaction? 

How can  we be tempted to dismiss excellent ministry opportunities because we are looking for something “better” or “more special”? 

What qualities or virtues do you think the people of Jesus’ hometown needed in order to accept the Lord? 

How do you experience the presence of God in ordinary ways? 

Some people say, “Seeing is believing”, but this passage invites us to reconsider the process such that “Believing is seeing”. If you knew that God would manifest Himself to you today in ten ordinary ways, how might that change the way you approach the ordinary situations you will face?

These difficulties caused the people to be “scandalized” by Jesus. Literally, they were “tripped up” in their ability to accept the Lord. This difficulty accepting Jesus seems to have included those closest to Him as our Lord indicates that a prophet is not without honor except “…among his own relatives”. Mark has already introduced us to the challenge of faith posed to those closest to Jesus in Mark 3:20–21 and 31–35. This inclusion of Jesus’ closest relatives in those who must make a decision about Him reminds us that discipleship is a personal conviction and that each person must make the choice to accept God in Jesus on our Lord’s terms. If Jesus’ family are to be His disciples, and they will be, then it will be because they have made that decision just as we must make that decision.

The passage then goes on to tell us that Jesus was unable to do any mighty deeds aside from curing a few sick people. It is not that Jesus needed people’s faith in order for Him to be capable of mighty deeds; rather, mighty deeds had a purpose, and where there was no openness to receive God on God’s terms, or where the very display of mighty deeds would become a further difficulty in accepting Jesus, then the Lord chose not to work those deeds. Mighty deeds are always meant to be an invitation to discipleship and not a cause of difficulty or scandal in our discipleship! Jesus never performed deeds to prove Himself or force people’s acceptance and belief. When the people of His hometown closed their hearts to Jesus, they also closed themselves to the action of God. Some people, however, were open to accepting Jesus, and for them He did perform mighty deeds of healing (see Mk 6:5).

Who is someone you think is close to Jesus today, and how can you learn more about their decision of faith in the Lord? 

What do you think would have been the result if Jesus had performed mighty deeds for the people of His hometown? 

When has a mighty deed of God led you to deeper faith? 

One final comment should be made about this passage because it contains the phrase regarding the brothers (James, Joses, Judas, and Simon) and the sisters of Jesus. There is a good deal written on this topic in both Catholic and non-Catholic Scripture commentaries. The question is not whether Jesus had brothers and sisters but what the term “brothers and sisters” means and whether those brothers and sisters were also children of Mary. Catholics believe that Mary maintained perpetual virginity throughout her life and so they interpret the “brothers and sisters” of Jesus to be either half-brothers and half-sisters or cousins. Evidence in the early Church does provide basis for such an interpretation. First, the belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity can be traced to the earliest times of Christianity. Second, Mark 6:17 uses the term “brother” to refer to the half-brothers (Herod and Philip) who were Herod’s children from two different mothers. Third, the use of the terms “brother” and “sister” for other relatives in the Jewish context was also explained by the first century historian Flavius Josephus.^[1] Fourth, if Mary did have other children, there should have been no reason for Jesus to entrust her to the care of the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the Cross (see Jn 19:27). These factors may not definitively settle the question but do demonstrate that the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity is both reasonable and historically founded. One of the reasons Joseph is usually depicted in Christian art as older than Mary is due to an ancient tradition that Joseph had other children from a previous marriage, and that accounts for the mention of the brothers and sisters of Jesus in this passage. It should be remembered that this Gospel passage mentions the family of Jesus, not to generate biblical debates, but to demonstrate how ordinary and well-known Jesus was to the people of His hometown.

When we allow ourselves to become sidelined in our faith by relatively minor issues then we are distracted from paying attention to the most important things. It’s important not to let such a distraction deter us in our lives as disciples. The topic of Jesus’ family is only one example of the many ways in which we can allow issues that are peripheral to the person of Jesus to distract us from focusing intently on the Lord.

What issues or topics in Church life or Scripture can distract people from focusing intently on following Jesus today? 

If you had to identify the three most important teachings of faith for a Christian disciple to focus on, what would be those teachings? 

What are methods you can use to keep your conversations of faith focused when they become distracted?

^[1] Flavius Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, Book 20, Chap. 9.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Our Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark 5:21–43. Although this passage contains two separate healing accounts, these miracle stories are closely related and work together to communicate an important message. Common elements in the two miracle stories include the following: Both healings occur for women, both women were deemed “unclean” according to the Jewish purity laws, both are referred to with the title “daughter”, the healing for both is described as a “saving” event, faith is called for in both situations, both involve people falling before Jesus, both involve references to twelve years, touch (human contact with Jesus) is a central element for both accounts, and, finally, what was considered unclean did not contaminate what it touched but was made clean by the power of Jesus. In short, both women are invited into relationship with the Lord. With so many common elements, Mark wants us to see these two healings in relation to each another as complementary manifestations of faith—the faith of those who are healed (saved) and the faith of the community around them. 

The first healing takes place in the woman who suffered a hemorrhage for twelve years (Gynecologic bleeding). The Book of Leviticus contains the various purity norms pertaining to such women (see Lev 15:19)—they were deemed “unclean” and anything they touched was unclean. This hemorrhage would have prevented her from having children and could have been grounds for divorce. Indications are that she had no one to care for her because she had to use “her resources” to pay for physicians. She was in a truly desperate situation: physically ill, socially and religiously rejected as “unclean”, nearly impoverished, and alone. She has exhausted every hope that the medical arts and religious practices of her time offered—with no relief. Her only hope is this person named Jesus about whom she has heard minimal information. Regardless of how little information she received about Jesus, she acted on it nonetheless! This entire scene leads to her touching Jesus’ garment. Such an action violated the purity codes of her time and demonstrated her initiative and courage.

We are then told that she said to herself, “If I but touch the tassel of his cloak I will be saved (healed).” It is at this moment that Jesus seeks her out to speak to her. What the Lord wants to give her is more than just physical healing; Jesus wants to give her a relationship with Him (relationship is indicated by the familiar use of the second person singular pronoun “you”). Jesus wants her to know that her healing was not the result of her own cunning but of His grace and her faithful initiative and courage. Her determination led her to overcome the social and religious barriers that would keep her from the Lord. Jesus broke social customs as well by speaking to her in public. Nothing will stop the Lord from offering the gift of relationship to this woman who approached Him in faith. She did not “take” anything from Jesus; she received grace and the Lord led her to Himself. In Mark 3:31–35 we were told that those who approach Jesus in faith will be members of the family of God. Now Jesus calls this woman “daughter”—a term of faith and relationship as a member of God’s family. Her healing may have restored her former life, but Jesus wants to introduce her to new and more abundant life as a disciple.

In response to what has taken place in this woman’s life, Jesus can say to her “your faith has saved you”. In this scene, Jesus is teaching us something about what it means to be a member of God’s family, the Church. In the example of the woman’s faith, we are not defined by rules and regulations but by the grace of God and our relationship with Jesus. No one is so unclean that our Lord cannot make them clean. Jesus has nothing to fear from our woundedness—and neither should we as long as we take the initiative to approach Him with determination, honesty, and courage seeking His healing grace. We should also expect that the Lord wants more than simply to be the source of our healing; Jesus wants to enter into a deep relationship with us as He did with this woman. He wants to give us new life and not merely to restore our former life. Every encounter with God’s grace is an invitation to this relationship with Jesus.

What have you heard about Jesus that makes you want to meet the Lord, and what keeps you from acting on that desire? 

The woman had to overcome the social barriers of her time in order to approach Jesus in public because she was considered “unclean”. What are some of the social barriers or expectations of others that can hinder  us from following  our desire to meet the Lord? 

What does courage and initiative look like today in our faith lives? 

How has an experience of God’s grace initiated for you a deep and life-giving relationship with Jesus? 

What is it about this woman’s story that most inspires you and why? 

For what situation have you spent years of your life trying to overcome, and how can that situation become a motivation leading you to Jesus? 

In what ways can people seek the gift of God’s grace but then turn away from the invitation to a deep relationship with the Lord?

Jairus, the synagogue leader and father of the ill girl, has been with Jesus the whole time and presumably has seen what took place. Now he will be called to even greater faith. Messengers arrive to inform him that his daughter is no longer sick but is now dead. In response, they encourage him to not “bother” the one they call “the teacher”. Jairus knows that Jesus is much more than a teacher and he must make a decision—Does he go against the recommendation of so many people or does he continue to accompany Jesus in an act of trust and confidence? Jesus calls Jairus to choose faith rather than fear and so they arrive together at Jairus’ home. As a person of faith, Jairus is asked to enter (with those who believe) into the house with Jesus. Jesus then removes from the house anyone who does not have faith—the mourners. At this point, Jairus has chosen to accept the ridicule and accusations of those closest to him and to persevere in bringing Jesus to his daughter. He rises above these obstacles and his faith is not disappointed. Jesus touches the corpse of the child and in doing so He breaks another purity law (for the prohibitions of anyone except a family member touching a corpse, see Lv. 21:1; or even entering the place where the dead person lies, see Num. 19:11–16). However, it is not Jesus’ touch that saves the girl; rather it is His Word when He commands her to “rise”. That is the same verb used for the Resurrection. She was not only restored to life but she now shares in the resurrected life of Jesus! Like the woman in the first healing, Jesus is giving to Jairus’ daughter more than just restoration to a former way of life; Jesus is giving her a new and abundant life in Him. Jairus demonstrated faith and trust even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations and went against the recommendations and expectations of others.

The passage ends with Jesus giving a peculiar instruction to those in the house: they are to give the girl something to eat. In order to understand this instruction we have to recall some significant elements of the passage: Jairus chose Jesus over his friends, Jairus and those who believe were inside the home with the Lord, and in that context someone who was previously dead received a sharing in Jesus’ resurrected life. All those elements point towards this moment as a teaching for the early Church on what being a disciple means: having faith that chooses Jesus in the face of ridicule and rejection, trusting in the Lord’s power to address the most hopeless of situations, and welcoming everyone who has been given a share in Jesus’ risen life by feeding them. With this understanding, the food that Jesus instructs them to give is His Word and the Eucharist. This girl, who once was dead and the most unclean of all people (corpse), is now to be an equal in the Christian community because Jesus has touched her. Jesus offers a relationship to her through the disciples who will teach her His Word and share with her our Lord’s Eucharist. If it were up to the disciples they would never have touched the girl, but Jesus did and now He commands them to help her in developing her faith life. The girl had neither an idea of what preceded Jesus’ grace in her life nor what she was supposed to do with that grace—she had to learn a great deal, and the care the disciples give her after she “rises” at Jesus’ command will be instrumental in helping her become a mature disciple. This second story challenges us in our discipleship as members of the larger community. Sometimes we can find it difficult to welcome as brothers and sisters all those whom Jesus has touched. Sometimes, too, we can ignore the responsibility we have to give one another “something to eat” that will nourish their relationship with the Lord; rather, we sometimes think it’s their responsibility to feed themselves. Jesus wants our cooperation in helping provide nourishment to those who have recently come to know Him so that they can become mature in their faith as well. Being “touched” by Jesus isn’t the goal of a Christian life; it’s only the beginning.

How does the faith of Jairus inspire you? 

The girl had so much to learn about the Lord after He raised her; In your life who has been touched by the Lord and needs to learn more about Him, and how can you be the one who “gives them something to eat”? 

How are parents today ridiculed for going against popular expectations and choosing Jesus for their children rather than the recommendations of the world around them? 

The girl received the saving grace of Christ because of the intervention of her father. Who is an example of such faithful perseverance for you? 

What are evangelization ministries today that can bring Jesus to us and  us to Jesus so the Lord can touch  us and  we can gain a greater share in His life and grace? 

What opportunities or ministries in our faith community can feed us to help us mature in faith after we have been touched by Jesus?

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.