Introduction: This is the beginning of continues interactive sharing of our reflexions and meditations fruit of a personal encounter and dialogue with Christ through his word (Lectio Divina) which may lead us beyond mere acquaintanceship to an attitude of friendship, trust and love. This is an invitation to all our web reader to give 20 min of your precious time to converse with our Lord Jesus by listening and answering to his word. Please follow the steps below.
[Choose a quiet place, free of noise; sit in the most comfortable position, light a candle if you wish and begin with a prayer]
Initial Prayer
God our Father
Grant us the grace
To know your Son
Deeply, to love him unconditionally
And to follow him faithfully
And that the Holy Spirit may assist us to proclaim
The joyful message of Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen
- Read the Gospel of Mark 1:14-16: read it slowly and listen the scriptures attentively with the ‘ear of your heart’. What word, sentence or phrase stand out for you? [spend 2 min of silence]
- Reflect: read the passage again and pay attention of what touches you; why is it meaningful for you. What thought or reflection come to you. [spend 2 min of silence]
- Respond: read the passage again and this time respond spontaneously to the word of God. In other words, make a dialogue with God what comes from within you. What gift does this passage lead me to ask from the Lord? [spend 2 min of silence]
- Stay with the Word: read the passage a final time and rest in the word. Allow God to speak to you in deep silence. Don’t say anything just listen to God’s words. What is He saying? [spend 5 min of silence]
- Take now the word, sentence or phase, into your daily life/activity, allow it to become part of you. Always listen to it, reflect on it, pray over it and rest on it as time allows during the day.
Conclude the ‘Lectio Divina’ with an Our Father.
A Reflexion: on Mk 1:14-20
Central message: Jesus’ proclamation of the Good News, an invitation to repent, believe and follow him.
Main points
- “Jesus proclaims the Good News from God”: it means that God is its content; He is the greatest Good News for human life. Jesus wants to share the experience of God with us right now “the time has come” he said. For the Jews the time has not yet come they are still waiting and the kingdom of God is attained when the Law is perfectly observed. “the Kingdom of God is close at hand” for the Pharisees the coming of the Kingdom depended on their efforts, it would have arrived only after they had observed the Law. Jesus says the contrary the Kingdom is already here, it is among you and you don’t know it. They didn’t perceive it.
- “Repent yourselves”: the exact meaning is change the way of thinking and of living. To perceive the presence of the Kingdom in life, the person is invited to think and to live in a diverse way; to leave aside all legalism of the teaching of the Pharisees and allow the new experience of God to invade his/her life and give him/her a new way of looking so as to read and understand the facts in a new way.
- “Believe in the Good News”: it wasn’t easy for the Pharisees to accept this message and it is not easy for us to begin to think and live in different way. We are used to it and to change it we need not only understanding but faith. We accept it only if we trust the person who gives the news. Can we trust Jesus?
- “Follow me”: Jesus wanted to share his mission of proclaiming the Good News and He goes and invites people of different walks of life, backgrounds, age, etc. to form a community with him. He called Simon, Andrew, John and James, and at once they abandon everything and follow Him. In the account of Mark everything takes place in a first encounter with Jesus. Perhaps he had in mind that the encounter with Jesus should bring about a radical change in our life and as a consequence to follow him.
Some questions for our Reflexion
- How the words ‘Convert and believe in the Good News’ takes place in our life?
- Does the encounter of Jesus make any effect in us? What effect?
Concluding prayer: Our Father….
