Mark 6:53-56

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13

Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10

Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,

Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret

and tied up there.

As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.

They scurried about the surrounding country

and began to bring in the sick on mats

to wherever they heard he was.

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,

they laid the sick in the marketplaces

and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;

and as many as touched it were healed.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, in a plan of sheer goodness you created me to share in your divine life. The Temple in Jerusalem was a sign of your dwelling among us and of your call to us to be in communion with you. Dwell today in my heart and in the world. 

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Old Temple of Solomon: The building of the Temple by Solomon is a high point in Old Testament biblical history. The Kingdom of Solomon establishes the people of Israel as a liturgical empire called to bring divine blessing to the nations through the liturgy celebrated in its Temple and the wisdom taught by its kings.The Temple of Solomon recalls the Garden of Eden and teaches the people to offer their work in the world to God just as they offer their worship in the Temple to God. Solomon’s Temple also recalls the dwelling of God with the people in the desert in the Tabernacle. Just as the cloud of divine glory descended upon the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness, so now it descends upon the Temple of Solomon built in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Like David before him, Solomon acts today as a priest-king: he blesses the people with the Divine Name, leads them in a prayer of dedication, and offers animal sacrifices to the Lord.

2. The New Temple of Jesus: We know from the Gospel of John that Jesus himself is the New Temple, the true dwelling of God among human beings (John 2:21). Instead of going up to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray for healing, the people can seek out Jesus wherever he is and bring the sick to him. All they need to do is touch the tassel on his cloak to be healed. The tassel was a reminder to keep God’s commandments (Numbers 15:38-40). Unlike King Solomon, who failed to keep the divine commandments, Jesus is the true model of royal fidelity. He is our king and our faithful and merciful high priest! The physical healings recounted in today’s Gospel are invitations to faith in Jesus and signs of the merciful salvation from sin and death that Jesus brings.

3. The Healing Power of the Sacraments: This section of the Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as teaching the people, feeding the crowds with bread, and healing the sick. This is a wonderful image of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ and Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are taught through the Liturgy of the Word. We are fed with the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. We are healed in different ways through many of the Sacraments. Let us thank God today for such wonderful gifts of instruction, heavenly food, healing, and mercy.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you pitched your tent and dwelt among us. You were sent by the Father to save us and preached the Good News of salvation in word and action. Dwell in me and send me out into the world to bring this Good News.

Resolution: Through our baptism, we have become Temples of the Holy Spirit. Our heart is the inner sanctuary where God wishes to dwell. How does my heart receive God? Is God pleased to dwell there or am I putting up obstacles? Does the temple of my heart need to be purified?