Gospel: Mark 8:14-21
When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do
you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or
comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and
not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five
thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?
They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven
loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick
up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not
understand?”
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Reflection:
Do you allow the enticements of this world to take your focus off Jesus? For example, the Sunday obligation to attend Holy Mass—many of us today sometimes do not pay much attention to this highest form of worship inside the church. We sacrifice it for our many worldly undertakings, which do nothing but pull us away from Jesus. Do you allow this to happen to you?
In the Gospel, Jesus admonished His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. He used leaven as a metaphor, warning them not to be swayed by the influence of the Pharisees and Herod, who sought to lead them away from Him.
Both the Pharisees and Herod represent power—the power of religion and government—which, for all intents and purposes, are worldly and temporary. Jesus was, in essence, telling His disciples not to leave Him for them. He was reminding them not to favor the world over their love for God.
The secular world offers many inducements: power, money, greed, popularity, lust, ego, self-centeredness, and more. We must be careful of these worldly attachments and not allow ourselves to be deceived by these temporary enticements.
Instead, let
us remain steadfast in our love, fellowship, and fidelity to Jesus through our
words and actions. For what do we gain if we have all the things this world can
offer but do not have God? — Marino J. Dasmarinas
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