"This year, we have been reading from the Gospel of Mark, 'a gospel in a hurry.' It moves quickly through the events of Jesus' ministry, jumping right in at his first proclamation of the kingdom. It frequently repeats a term that translates as 'right away,' or 'immediately.' Mark rarely gives us the details found in the other gospels. For example, it only rarely tells us the names of the people that Jesus encounters. As rushed as the story might be, it slows down when it reaches the events of Jesus' passion. There the gospel goes from describing months to days to hours. For this reason, one commentary called this gospel 'a passion narrative with an introduction.' . . .
"Mark was addressing an early Christian community that was undergoing deadly persecution. These Christians were struggling to keep hope alive in the face of poverty, displacement, arrest and martyrdom. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Bishop Richard G. Henning, the bishop of the Diocese of Providence
(RI), reflected on this message of Mark's gospel, revealing the Lord's presence with us today..
To access Bishop Henning's complete essay, please visit:
The State of Hope: The Shadow of the Cross falls across our whole world (15 FEB 24)
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