Mark 6:7-13

Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24

Psalm 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two

and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick

– no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.

He said to them,

“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,

leave there and shake the dust off your feet

in testimony against them.”

So they went off and preached repentance.

The Twelve drove out many demons,

and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you today for your healing touch and the teachings of your Church. You have brought me into new life through the waters of Baptism and mercifully offer to restore me to divine life when I sin against you. 

Encountering the Word of God

1. Sharing in Divine Authority: In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been manifesting his divine authority to his apostles. The four mighty works all show that Jesus has the power to conquer death and free us from the fear of death. Jesus now communicates his authority to the Twelve, who were appointed the leaders of the New Israel, the priests of the New Temple, and the officers of the New Kingdom of God. They were sent out with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, sandals, and a staff, which functioned also as a symbol of the authority they received from the Lord (Exodus 4:20). In the age of the Church, the apostles will appoint bishops, priests, and deacons who will minister to God’s people in various ways and be granted varying levels of authority. Bishops are ordained to teach, sanctify, and govern as the shepherds and overseers of God’s people (CCC, 1555-1561). Priests minister as the coworkers of the bishops (CCC, 1562-1568). Deacons are ordained for service, especially the service of charity (CCC, 1569-1571).

2. Driving Out Demons and Anointing with Oil: The Twelve apostles were sent out in pairs to preach in the towns of Galilee. Their message was the same as that of John the Baptist and that of Jesus: repentance (metanoia). They called the people to turn away from a life of sin and to turn toward God in a complete change of heart and mind. “The fullness of the Christian gospel, the victory of the crucified and risen Lord, can be proclaimed only after the resurrection” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 117). Their simple message of repentance will be accompanied by powerful signs of healing and exorcism that confirm the truth of their message. Both signs will be brought to their fullness in the age of the Church. The Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation are anticipated in the driving out of demons. The Sacrament of Anointing is anticipated in the curing of the sick with oil.

3. Mount Sinai vs. Mount Zion: In the First Reading, we encounter a contrast between the Old Covenant and the New. This contrast is symbolized by two mountains: “Sinai, the forbidding mountain in the wilderness where the law was given through Moses, and Zion, the joyful mountain of the heavenly city where God dwells in the midst of his people” (Healy, Hebrews, 272). The author of the Letter to the Hebrews alludes to Sinai without mentioning its name. In this way, he refers to the old covenant with its earthly tabernacle, its Levitical priesthood, and its system of animal sacrifices. By way of the contrast, the letter emphasizes the inferior status of the former age of salvation history that Christians “have not approached” (Hebrews 12:18) and the glorious heavenly reality that Christians “have approached” (Hebrews 12:22) (see Healy, Hebrews, 272-273). We are near to God as a result of our conversion to Christ through faith and Baptism.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to hear your call to repentance each day. Do not let the noise of this world draw my attention away from your saving Word.

Living the Word of God: Can I take some time to read and reflect on the teaching of the Church about the Sacraments in the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Would I benefit from reading all or parts of Prothro’s The Bible and Reconciliation as a remote preparation for upcoming liturgical season of Lent?