Thursday – 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Mark3:7-12

Wanna Get Away??

Boat Ride, Sea of Galilee

How do you feel about crowds? Jam-packed elevator? A 2-hour long line at the TSA checkpoint in the airport? That bumper to bumper rush hour traffic? The crush of fans leaving the baseball stadium? Believe me, I am not a fan! If I can, I will find ways to avoid the mass of humanity. Leave the game early? You bet! Plan trips to avoid rush hour? Absolutely! Take the next elevator? Why not!
 
I hate to admit it but I did find one positive out of this long pandemic! Empty expressways in the middle of a non-existent rush hour! Sidewalks empty of pedestrians! An elevator all to myself! A comfortable 6-foot distance at the grocery store checkout!  Yes please!

In today's Gospel, Jesus doesn't have the luxury of a 6-foot personal space. He is swarmed by crowds coming from all over Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. It reminds me of when I was younger and Beatlemania was at its peak! Massive crowds all pushing and shoving to get a glimpse,
even to touch, the young lads from Liverpool! It's like Jesus is being treated like a rock star before there was such a thing. He even goes so far as to plan out an escape route - having a boat ready to take Him across the Sea of Galilee.  Granted, there are times when Jesus does indeed step aside, going up the mountain for some quiet and prayer!  But He then returns to the Mission renewed in spirit and purpose,

And yet today He doesn't use the boat! He remains with the crowd, teaching and healing. In spite of the press of the multitude, He tends to their physical and spiritual needs. Whatever concerns He has about the crush or His physical safety, He puts the needs of the many over His own. It
is a very obvious reminder to us that God is deeply interested and keenly concerned about even the little details of our human life, our aches and pains, our worries and stresses. And He responds!
 
I don't expect I will ever have a great crowd of fans following me wherever I go. But I do know that, in order to follow the Lord, to carry out His command to love and serve others, we will all experience some sort of discomfort or unease. We are all called to walk with the Lord, to offer our prayers and compassion to those in need, no matter the size of the crowd or the crush of everyday life.

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