Daily Catholic Reflection: January 21, 2021, Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, Year B

Hebrews 7:25-8:6;

Psalm 40:7-8a.8b;

Mark 3:7-12 Full Readings

Saint Agnes

 The Believing Crowd 

Brethren, in today's Gospel we see that a “great multitude” followed Jesus from Galilee. “Hearing all that he had been doing” impelled them to seek him out and believe in him. Who was this mystery man? Some were intrigued by his words. Many sought physical healings, and Jesus was their last hope. Would they believe that Jesus was more than a prophet, more than a teacher? Would Jesus impress upon them his authority, his majesty, his individual love for each of them? An encounter with Jesus brings with it great promises of abundant grace, spiritual awakening, forgiveness, and more. What did this great multitude experience? Love, healing, compassion, mercy and teaching from Jesus. We can experience the same graces every day when we pray.

Jesus moved into the boat so that the crowd Would Not Crush Him: Why did Jesus separate from the crowd? It was also out of love. The crowds surrounding Jesus were weighed down by spiritual, emotional, and physical afflictions. Jesus would not be “crushed” by the weight of their burdens, rather, “He took on [their] infirmities and carried [their] sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). When our anxieties, our afflictions, our worries weigh us down, we can cast them confidently onto Jesus. Nothing is so overwhelming that Jesus cannot carry it for us, if we will only give it to him to handle.

But Jesus separated from them and by separating Himself from them, they were invited to listen to Him (for his primary mission as to reach and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom) rather than just try to touch Him for the sake of a physical miracle. For Jesus, the spiritual wholeness He desired to give the crowd was of much greater significance than any physical healing He also gave.

In our own lives, Jesus may “separate” Himself from us in somewhat superficial ways so that we will be more open to the deeper and more transforming purpose of His life. For example, He may remove certain feelings of consolation or permit us to encounter some trial through which He seems to be less present to us. But when this happens, it is always so that we will turn to Him on a deeper level of trust and openness so as to be drawn more deeply into a relationship of love.

When the demons tried to tell him that he was the son of God, he rebuked them. The demons knew that this man, Jesus, was more than he seemed. Jesus silenced them. Why didn’t Jesus claim his title, “Son of God''? Because, it was not yet the time appointed by his Father. In all things, large or small, Jesus obeyed the Father’s will, setting an example for each of us. When time had come, and by his obedience, God highly exalted him and made him a high priest in the line of Melchizedek and is always offering sacrifices on our behalf, pleading for us to the Father. What a merciful God, our God is! Are you among the believing crowd, who follow Jesus for his teachings and his love and mercy for us. 

Let us Pray

Lord, I am filled with afflictions in body, mind, and soul. I come to you and beg of you to take the weight from me, so that I no longer feel crushed by it. Replace my worries with faith and hope so that my very being cries out, “You are the Son of God! Amen.

Be blessed