December 3, 1993 The Message Monthly --for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana 9
"" Commentary __
Fear, destruction, betrayal, despatr: Mark composes the anttdote
_ _ Gospel commentary for Dec. - nity at Rome had just undergone a • . ,
. . . spalr Mark saw himself commanded b Isaiah
o, 1993, Second Sunday of Ad. - ..... searing ann violen persecution words "Get- ou u to a ..... Y" ,. s
- - ... . ,- : y p mgn mountain, neraia oI
vent, Cycle B: Mark 1:1.8. : under the Emperor lero; ann n- , .......
............ gooa news to Lion LlIt up your voice with strength,
I I nally ne Wloner nurcn at , ,, . _ •
A man we call Mark was about .... Jerusalem and the beautiful Jew- neram mgood news to Jerusalem. Lift it up. Be not
to attempt SOmething never before :: ish temple in which they still wor- afraid. Say to the cities of Judah: 'Behold your
a!terapted as far as we know. His shipped had both ceased to exist. God. Stirred by these beautiful words of the
;:sle orperhaps his commission Jerusalem had been besieged and prophet of consolation Mark writes: Fhe benning
Ii conquered, thetempleburnedandofthegoodnewsofJesusChrist, SonofGod.
ocat Uhnshandeeds of JesusC°mmumt torn down and the Christian com The chief message Mark proposes, to bring the
was to assemble into a book the y
sayia,Nazaret:nd of munity fled east across the Jordan good news of Jesus home to the individual, is re-
to be ra a' a man who was believed I " B River.
ore th . . || rAln-.K Mar had a lot to deal with.
a nhumanin fact this O'ArlnwrK_D k
Same Jesu - • DoYALD DILGER
pentance
a
change
of
life
from
sin
to
virtue,
fi
on
Chri--" s was believed by the | %(COLUMNIST Jesus had not returned as ex-
betrayal to asking forgiveness, from destruction to
^ uan COmmunity to be So - D
nsm of faith resulted
ttod in a way no off- - not pected. A c ..... . rebuilding, from despair to hope. Much of what
aaa ver' been- M her numan beino The first generation oi nrisians,
the title ,o • lark emphasizes the importance of including the apostles, had either dmd or would do
ofJesu s in°L n. o t God" by placing it as the first title so soon. How were their memories of Jesus' words
to USe t,-, a.ls book, then allowing no human bein and deeds to be passed on? There had to be some
• ,ab Lll;le of • • g • • •
Story. 0!. , . Jesus again until the end of the way to deal with the crams brought on by the mar-
into the' J aen does Mark put that august title tyrclom of Christians during Nero's persecution of
diet be,o OUth of a Roman soldier. That Roman sol- the Church and the fact that some Christians had
characterfaeburden of professing Jesus' divine betrayed their community by defection and turning
read lying1., _" ?" people of all times after they have in faithful Christians to Roman governmental offi-
God? " story: "Indeed this man was Son of cials. The final blow was the destruction or disinte-
pentance -- a change of life from sin to virtue, from
Mark writes in the book that follows his title does
hyPothesis as to the date of composi-
gospels is that it was written
68-70 A.D. We assume there were
contributing to the urgency with
seems to have been written.
Were the following: the first genera-
was mostly gone; Paul and other
preachers and teachers had pro-
the end of the world was at hand and
about to return; the Christian commu-
gration of the Christian community at Jerusalem
through the destruction of the city and burning of
the temple.
How was Mark to cope with what seemed a
situation of hopelessness and crisis? He faced his
task head on. Mark, like all early Christians, was
an eager student of the writings attributed to an
eighth century B.C. prophet named Isaiah. In what
we now call Second Isaiah he found the title for his
book, a title that would in one word be the antidote
for fear, disappointment, betrayal, depression, de-
not sound like good news. Like ourselves when we
encounter betrayal, depression, and sometimes de-
spair, Mark reflects the crises that brought about
the composition of his book. Nevertheless, his book
begins with an enthusiastic and cheerful title and
concludes with an announcement of Jesus' resur-
rection. We would do well to imitate Mark's lead.
Even when things look gloomy and there seems to
be no light at the end of the tunnel, a Christian re-
members that there is good news There is hope.
The Advent or arrival of Jesus that Mark pro-
claimed will arrive anew in our personal life. How?
By the repentance that Mark's book proclaims
through John the Baptist: "Prepare the way of the
Lord. Make his paths straight."
Other readings: Isaiah 40:1.5, 9-11; H
Peter 3:8-14.
Father Donald Dee. 19, 1993, Fourth Sunday of Advent,
Lhe Message, Luke lb3& The Annulo
reeks aheaJ L ".iple of Jesus, ............... ' i . :
undav oz ,, Or
Dec. 26, 1993, Holy Family Sunday, Cycle
this may be a matter of affirmative action for ing'to religious law,
women, since women in general are shortchanged tured physically and intellectually, and wasin
in the Scriptures, d'
•. " .... di " le of Go s favor
• Luke depicts aary as the nrs scp • .,, , ..." ..
of G0d's UhnsUan lhrauy
tnesses Jesus,
g mm law can expect his blessing
and children.
l l l
1
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