Daily Reflections ...

This pithy sentence, which concludes chapter nine in Mark’s gospel, sums up for us what Jesus is trying to get his disciples to understand as they travel on the road together. Today’s gospel has some very confronting sayings like, “If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out.” Sayings like this are not meant to be taken literally. However sometimes, we dismiss them to our detriment. Jesus is speaking again about the urgency of the mission and the cost of discipleship. The eye, as every part of the body, is a wonderful gift from God. All God’s gifts are given for the purpose of participating in the reign of God’s justice, love and peace. Anything, no matter how good it may be, that drags us into self-absorption or self-importance hinders us from truly following Jesus along that road the apostles travelled. These tendencies are part of every human life. The challenge for us is to recognise our personal distraction or temptation and to be honest about ourselves before God rather than ‘tearing it out’ or ‘cutting it off’. God alone can cleanse and heal, lightening the load, freeing us to continue the journey.

Maybe then we can truly have salt in ourselves, we can preserve all that is good, all that is true, all that is holy. As a pilgrim people on the road with Jesus we will have eyes to see and ears to hear. We will be given hearts to love who God loves, and the followers of Jesus will be at peace with one another.

By Sister Kari Hatherell osu