Dear Friends,
The author of Mark’s Gospel has a reputation for being in a hurry. So much so that he skips out the birth narrative of Jesus preferring to start his story by fast forwarding to the adult Jesus’ baptism. And then he proceeds to describe Jesus’ baptism and 40 day wilderness temptations in just three verses! Mark’s rushed reputation is justified!
This is all the more reason to take note at how the author of Mark’s Gospel slows down during that terrifying week we now call Holy. Even he takes time to pause before the agonising suffering of Jesus.
I hope we will all follow this example and take time to pause in these coming days. Let us commit to marking each day of this week with some extra act of deliberate devotion. Perhaps getting up earlier than usual in the morning to pray or to awake in the middle of the night for a few minutes reflection or at 12noon to read the scriptures. Perhaps we may decide to reach out with a specific act of compassion, generosity or forgiveness this week to someone we know who is in need or who is estranged from us. In the very least we could commit to attending the evening reflections every night this week at 7pm—perhaps coming a little earlier to sit “slowly” in silence.
May we be disturbed into Holiness this week. Alan
