The Sacred Page

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Monday, July 17, 2006

They Were Like Sheep Without A Shepherd

UPDATE: How serious can it be if sheep do not have a shepherd? Read this. The selection from Mark 6:30-34 follows from the episode of Jesus sending out the Twelve. We don't know how long they were away but when they do return, Jesus tells them to take some rest. Mark tells us that the Twelve had not... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Holiness and Compassion

Hosea 11:1-9 is one of the oldest texts in the Old Testament that refer to Israel as God's son (v. 1). The passage has been badly passed down in tradition such that modern translators have to make choices as to how render it. Most difficult is the passage in verse 7 which is rendered differently in... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

And He Sent Them Out Two-By-Two

Mark 6:7-13 narrates how Jesus sends out his chosen Twelve to be his extensions in the proclamation of the kingdom. The Twelve are mentioned first in Mark 3:14-19. The verses in Mark 3:14-15 are to be noted and their correspondences with the present section: Twelve men were chosen to represent the... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, July 10, 2006

He Has Graced Us In The Beloved

The text: Ephesians 1:3-14 Right at the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul explodes with a blessing, a berakah, to God who, he writes " has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavens in Christ. " (v. 3). These spiritual blessings he enumerates throughout this long explosion... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, July 9, 2006

A Prophet Without Honor (Mark 6:1-6)

The gospel narrative in Mark 6:1-6 brings to us a memory of Jesus rejected in his own hometown. The growing reputation of Jesus as a Teacher with authority is not recognized in Nazareth. The fact that he is a carpenter and his family and relatives are known to the townspeople make these latter "take... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

You Of Little Faith

The phrase "you of little faith" appears as just one word in Greek: oligopistos (singular, oligopistov ) and oligopistoi (plural, oligopistoi ). The word appears in Matthew five times: 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8. In Mt. 17:20, one finds the cognate "smallness of faith", oligopistis (in context,... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, July 2, 2006

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

2 Cor. 8:7,9:13-15 derives from a section in 2 Corinthians where Paul reminds the Corinthian community to be generous in their yearly contribution to the mother Church in Jerusalem ( 2 Cor. 8-9 ). In this section we find the theological bases for collections shared among the Churches. 2 Cor. 8-9 can... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Your Faith Has Healed You

After Mark presents Jesus as having dominance over the Sea ( Mk. 4:35-41 ) and over a legion of demons ( Mk. 5:1-20 ), he now presents Jesus as having dominance over death's forces (5:21-43). For the first time in Mark's gospel, the relationship between and new life received from Jesus is... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

And They Shall Look Upon Him Whom They Have Pierced

Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Jesus Calms The Storm

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.... Sign in to see full entry.

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