This Sunday's Mass Readings (1/22/06)

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In the Jonah reading, I thought the vocabulary of “God repenting of evil” was pretty interesting. It sounds like God first plotted, then repented of, evil – and that set off my anti-cliche alarms.

There was a discussion of that aspect – though dunno if there is more to say about it – on another thread I started in this forum:

God plots evil, but repents?

Alan
 
One thing I like about this gospel is that Christ will make us “fishers” of men.

I like that imagery. What do fishers do? Bait and switch? Entice then capture? Gather all in big nets?

One way or another, they get in “under the radar” so as not to scare the fish away.

To me, this is where the fruits of the spirit are critical. Against them there is no law, so if we are “fruity” enough in our manner and being, they will not raise flags of distrust.

How many fish will not run if I come after them, “Aha, you ignorant fish! I see you there and have a lock on you! Prepare for me to capture you and you will like it I guarantee!” – That sounds so stupid, but when I was very confident of scripture literally but not in my heart that’s exactly how I acted, and it ended me up with me alienated from many people and locked in a looney bin.

Alan
 
I’ve always loved that image–fishers of men. Our priest talked today about the immediacy of their response to Jesus. They didn’t hem and haw about it, they just dropped everything and followed Him. The same with the Jonah reading–the people of Ninevah didn’t debate it, they repented. It’s a good message for all of us–when God calls, answer Him now.
 
One aspect of the Mark’s Gospel as it is translated in the New American Bible (which is largely what we hear at Mass), is that, for whatever reason, it lacks the sense of immediacy found in other translations. For example, the RSV-CE renders this passage:
1:14
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
1:15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
1:16
And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
1:17
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.”
1:18
And **immediately ** they left their nets and followed him.
1:19
And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb’edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.
1:20
And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb’edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
Click to expand...
I think it changes the dynamic of the reading, don’t you?
 
I really like this Gospel as it illustrates how God’s call to us can come at any time. It does bring a smile to my face though. I can see Zebedee standing up in the boat, yelling at his sons to come back. A little situational humor in the Bible.
 
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