Tuesday 18 February 2025

6th week of Ordinary Time

Today is Tuesday the 18th of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.  Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum:  My eyes are on the Lord God.  Wherever you are right now, on the way to work, walking in the park, sitting at home… what can you see?  What can you see around you?  Pause and remember for a moment, that all of this has been made by God, and is loved by God, that God holds you, and all of this, in the palm of God’s hand.  Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Like the deer that yearns for running streams So my soul is yearning for my God My tears have become my bread day and night As I hear it said：'Where is your God?' Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum By day the Lord will send His loving Spirit By night I will sing praises to the God of my life Send out Your light and Your truth as my guide To lead me to Your holy ground Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Then shall I go to the God of my joy Singing praise, praise on the lyre and the harp Why so downcast my soul? Put your hope and trust in my Saviour, my God Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 8:14-21  Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’      ‘Do you still not perceive or understand?’ -- What is it that stops you from seeing, from hearing, from perceiving, from understanding?      But notice also your desire to see … to hear … to perceive … and to understand.  Where is that desire in you?  What do you want to see, hear, understand?     As you hear the reading again, imagine yourself as one of them, in that boat, puzzled, trying to do or say the right thing but not quite managing it.  How does Jesus look at you?  Is he angry … or is he willing you to understand?  How do you imagine it?    Speak to the Lord now and tell him about what you want to see ... to hear … to perceive and to understand.  Ask God to help you and pray that you may let yourself be helped.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.