Gospel: Mark 8:14-21
They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 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?”
Perhaps it is because we allow ourselves to be distracted by the many things happening around us. We become so occupied with our worries, desires, and daily concerns that we slowly lose focus on the message that Jesus wants us to deeply receive and live out in our lives.
This is the situation we see in the Gospel. Jesus wanted the disciples to be wary of the teachings and overzealousness of the Pharisees and Herod, who focused mainly on externally fulfilling their laws. However, when Jesus used the word leaven, the disciples misunderstood Him. Because they had no bread, they thought He was referring to their lack of bread. Instead of listening with faith and spiritual understanding, they listened with fear and worldly concern.
Is this not also what happens to us? When our faith becomes shallow and we allow ourselves to be distracted by worldly preoccupations, we become unable to grasp what Jesus truly wants us to understand. We risk getting lost in this worldly jungle dominated by materialism, deception, arrogance, greed, lust, and many other temptations that slowly draw our hearts away from God.
But Jesus continues to call us back to Him. He invites us to focus our attention on Him alone. He calls us to remain faithful, to trust Him more than our fears, and to resist the temptations that pull us away from His truth and love. When we choose to center our lives on Him, we deepen our friendship with Him, and little by little, we begin to understand more clearly the message He wants to reveal to our hearts.
Today, let us pause and examine ourselves. In the noise and busyness of our lives, are we truly listening to Jesus? Are we allowing His words to transform our hearts, or are we still distracted by the things of this world?
If Jesus is speaking to our hearts right now, are we willing to silence the noise around us, focus on Him alone, and truly live the message He is entrusting to us?— Marino J. Dasmarinas
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