"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
S aint Mark describes the astonishing incomprehension of the Lord's disciples with two stories: first there is a prediction of his passion and death, and then their argument about who is the greatest.
A more logical question for discussion might be, "Why are we staying with this mad man? He is enormously popular, powerful, and successful; people are coming from all directions. But he expects a catastrophe in Jerusalem and yet he marches directly toward it!"
Rather than a discussion of who would be first among them, we might expect them to discuss who will be the last to desert. He would be the biggest fool of them all.
In fact, I remember such discussions in the seminary, as we saw friends and classmates dropping out to return home. By the early 1970's, the birth control pill had opened new vistas for sexual adventurers. Chastity, marriage, and celibacy had lost their popular appeal. There were no movies about beloved priests and saintly nuns,
The attrition rate in the seminaries after 1964 and the Vatican Council was heavy. Bishops and priests were heading for the exits; why should we stay? Of the sixty boys of the high school class of 1966 at the minor seminary of Mount Saint Francis, five were ordained, and four have stayed the course. And compared to the classes just ahead of me and just behind, that was very successful.
So why am I still here? We asked ourselves that question in those halcyon days, and still do. But I find the same question raised in religious magazines and bookstores, "Why I am still Catholic."
I find the answer in John 6: the Lord's question, Peter's response, and the Lord's jubilant reply:
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve?
As he says, in John 15:16: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you."
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.