Genesis 17:1-7,15-16
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
POPE FRANCIS’ WORDS
Do you want to fast this Lent?
Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.
These wise words from Pope Francis arrived via my Facebook on Ash Wednesday. At first glance they may perhaps appear somewhat trite but, to my weary lockdown soul, some of them really spoke to me. Take the first line for example: being deprived of usual social mixing and being confined to endless hours with only one’s nearest and dearest I find my tongue has loosened and lost its curb! Going on through the list I think I particularly need to concentrate on items three, four and five!
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and trust in God.
Patience hope and trust in God: I am sure we all could do with a good dose of these virtues now as we look to and pray for the end of lockdown and the restrictive way we are living.
In many ways it is appropriate that we find ourselves at this stage of the lockdown on our Lenten journey. Lenten devotions can do much to refresh and renew the soul. A few of us had an inspiring and uplifting zoom discussion on Wednesday evening, mainly focusing on the Ignatius retreat but also offering any other thoughts and ideas which have occurred to us.
It is now nearly a year since this crisis began to unfold. But it does feel that we are at a turning point in the pandemic as the vaccine roll-out enables brighter times ahead.
The gospel passage today very much marks a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. Up to this point in Mark’s gospel the focus has been on Jesus’ Galilean ministry: his teaching; his healing miracles and his building up his relationship with his apostles. But now suddenly the focus changes – it becomes more challenging. Jesus is suddenly taking the disciples further in their understanding of the person he is.
“who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks them.
“You are the Christ” Peter replies. Mark 8:29 Peter is confident with his answer.
What he is less confident about is what comes next. “The son of man must undergo great suffering…be killed and in three days rise again” Mark 8:31 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection and understandably the disciples don’t like it – they can’t grasp it.
“You do not have in mind the things of God” he tells them. “But the things of humans.” Mark 8:33
Like Peter we too naturally absorb and concern ourselves with earthly issues. But here Jesus wants to show us that he is about something more. He is pointing us to the passion: the events of Holy week, the crucifixion and ultimately the resurrection. He wants to move our thinking from focusing on the earthly to the divine. It’s not easy and Jesus knows this.
“If any want to become my followers let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me” Mark 8:34
On our Lenten journeys, as we prepare for Holy Week and the great celebration of Easter, we are invited to stretch our minds and imaginations; to think beyond the human into the divine and trust that the narrative of Easter is a narrative that speaks of our salvation and holy destiny – because that is what Easter is, it is our salvation and our destiny!
The Ignatius retreat for Lent is easy to access online. It is simple and uncomplicated to follow. It includes a piece of art, music and a passage of scripture. I do recommend it. The link is below.
The Sunday Eucharist will be available at 11am online. You can access it on this link at that time. http://www.scotland.anglican.org/broadcast-sunday-worship/ Alternatively, you can access it by going straight onto the Scottish Episcopal Church website.
I will look forward to joining you all again via YouTube on Thursday for our morning Eucharist.
Please feel free to telephone me at any time.
My love and prayers to you all as always
Andrea
Loving God, bless and receive all who are affected by Coronavirus:
Especially:
Those who are sick and afraid
Those who are especially vulnerable
Those for whom home is not safe or available
Those who have lost their livelihoods
Those who have lost their lives
Those mourning for loved ones.
Amen