By Charles Muchiri
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Liturgical Year B, Cycle II
Saint Cyril, monk, and Methodius,
bishop – Memorial
Readings for Mass
First Reading: James 1: 12-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 94: 12-13, 14-15, 18-19
Gospel: Mark 8: 14-21
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| Eucharist |
In today’s gospel; Christ warns His
disciples against leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
He cautions them thus: ‘Watch out,
guard against.’ Obviously, the disciples are not sure of what He is talking
about.
They take Jesus’ warning literally, at
face value – they only have only but one bread on board the ship – thus it is
easy for them to make a shallow conclusion that their Master is warning them
against their modest provision on board.
But slowly by slowly, Christ wishes
to take His disciples and followers off the literal meaning of bread to an even
deeper meaning.
Certainly, the Pharisees and Herod
do not own some bakeries for leavening breads. But Christ is far much aware of
their influences. Their negative influences.
Like the way yeast acts on the dough,
changing its form, bloating its shape, so is the potency of the teachings and
the persuasions of the Pharisees as we as the influences of Herod.
They make the people follow traditions
and dictates and rules that they themselves can’t even adhere to.
They have enslaved the people with
these earthly dictates.
But Christ comes to set the people
free. And His disciples do have a great part to play. Soon, they will be the agents
of Christ’s evangelization. And the sooner they get to appreciate the freedom
that comes with following Christ; the sooner they are going to appreciate the infinite
provisions of Christ, the better for them.
The symbolism of bread transverses
through the four Gospels, and at the end of the day, it comes out to be the
very symbolism of Christ’s own ultimate sacrifice: The body that He offered at
the Calvary for the forgiveness of the sins of men and women.
So, there is now such thing as - the
Leaven of Christ. And when we celebrate the Eucharist today, we just can’t but appreciate
this one Christ who provides us with that a multiple amount of Graces!
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@muchirimuchoki/
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