Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
LIVING STONES
The first reading praises the forefathers, as good people, known by name or unknown, whose lives were fruitful, and who therefore live on in the memory of people and of God.
The Gospel of today speaks of several things – the Temple as a place of worship and prayer, not of business, the need for faith, prayer, forgiveness. And we must bear fruit. Let us also drive out in our life what does not belong there so that we can serve God better.
Reading 1: Sir 44:1, 9-13
Now will I praise those godly men,
our ancestors, each in his own time.
But of others there is no memory,
for when they ceased, they ceased.
And they are as though they had not lived,
they and their children after them.
Yet these also were godly men
whose virtues have not been forgotten;
Their wealth remains in their families,
their heritage with their descendants;
Through God’s covenant with them their family endures,
their posterity, for their sake.
And for all time their progeny will endure,
their glory will never be blotted out.
Gospel: Mk 11:11-26
He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the Twelve.
12-14 As they left Bethany the next day, he was hungry. Off in the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf. He came up to it expecting to find something for breakfast, but found nothing but fig leaves. (It wasn’t yet the season for figs.) He addressed the tree: “No one is going to eat fruit from you again—ever!” And his disciples overheard him.
15-17 They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately on entering the Temple Jesus started throwing out everyone who had set up shop there, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of the bankers and the stalls of the pigeon merchants. He didn’t let anyone even carry a basket through the Temple. And then he taught them, quoting this text:
My house was designated a house of prayer for the nations;
You’ve turned it into a hangout for thieves.
18 The high priests and religion scholars heard what was going on and plotted how they might get rid of him. They panicked, for the entire crowd was carried away by his teaching.
19 At evening, Jesus and his disciples left the city.
20-21 In the morning, walking along the road, they saw the fig tree, shriveled to a dry stick. Peter, remembering what had happened the previous day, said to him, “Rabbi, look—the fig tree you cursed is shriveled up!”
22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or hemming and hawing—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”
Prayer
Holy God,
we often turn our hearts
into houses of pride and greed
rather than into homes of love and goodness
where you can feel at home.
Destroy the temple of sin in us,
drive out all evil from our hearts
and make us living stones of a community
in which can live and reign
your Son, Jesus Christ,
our living Lord, for ever and ever.
Reflection:
2 June 2023
Mark 11:11-26
Throw away the mountains of rigidity.
Mark presents two stories to express the dryness and barrenness of the religiosity of Israel; these signs express the infidelity of the chosen people to their God. The fig tree that had no fruit when Jesus “felt hungry”; and the expulsion of the business people from the temple – both signs highlight the lack of faith among the chosen ones.
The Prophets of the Old Testament had already denounced such an “empty” and barren cult of “people honouring God with their lips, but their heart is far from Jesus.” The fig tree full of leaves is an image of the Jewish religion – It looked so lively and in good shape, but it had no fruits! Mark is trying to present the state of the religion of the time – it appears full of life and thriving – like the green fig tree, but a closer look tells that it is barren! And Jesus even “curses” the fig tree to express this chosen people’s radical dryness and sterility.
Saint John says: “Whoever says he loves God and does not keep his commandments is a liar”; St. Matthew reminds us: “By their works, you will know them; a good tree does not bear bad fruit.” Religion is useless if it has only prayers, devotions, religious associations and apostolic movements, but they do not contribute to solving the problems of the poor and marginalized.
It is not enough to feed the hungry, provide water to the thirsty, and clothe the naked, but also to respect their dignity. It was deliberately provocative of Jesus to disrupt the regular activities of the temple. He took on the priestly establishment right at their seat of power. His actions were not directed particularly against crooked dealings but at the essential requirements for any worship in the temple
By splitting the comments of Jesus’ on the fig tree and placing them before and after the cleansing of the temple, Mark intended his readers to see the fate of the fig tree as throwing light on the meaning of his actions in the temple.
“Should people say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it would happen.’
The mountain to which Jesus referred was the whole religious, social and cultural system centred on the temple. The previous day Jesus had symbolically stopped the activities of the temple. Now he was referring to overthrow of the whole system. The system had been cursed and withered radically. For all its outward show, it had failed to produce fruit, the fruit of genuine inclusiveness.