Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Turn. Love. Repeat.

Home
Catholic
Zealous in Obedience to God, Zealous in Compassion for Humankind

Zealous in Obedience to God, Zealous in Compassion for Humankind

Last updated on: February 6, 2021 at 3:50 pm by Fr. Stephanos Pedrano, O.S.B.

Zealous in Obedience to God, Zealous in Compassion for Humankind 2021-02-06T15:50:13-08:00 Fr. Stephanos Pedrano, O.S.B.

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Everybody is looking for you.

“The People Seek Jesus,” by J. Tissot. Brooklyn Museum / Public Domain.

Everybody is looking for you.

Mark 1:29-39 for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In his Gospel today, Christ received a sort of “vocation” through one of his own disciples.

At nightfall, the whole town was gathered outside the house where Christ was staying.

Yielding to their wishes, he cured all the ill and freed all the possessed.

The next morning, he did not sleep in.

Before sunrise, he left for a deserted place to pray alone.

However, Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everybody is looking for you.”

Everybody, the whole town again, like the night before!

Christ did not excuse himself from the work by saying he wanted to pray.

He respected this “vocation” that he received through Simon, since it was a mission from his heavenly Father whom he had already been heeding in his prayer.

Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also.
FOR THIS PURPOSE HAVE I COME.

He went to the nearby villages, but that was only a beginning.

The Gospel testifies he went throughout the WHOLE of Galilee.

The zeal and compassion of Christ never wore out.

Even after spreading himself thin over the whole land, he knowingly and freely set his face toward Jerusalem, where he handed over his whole self in suffering and death out of obedience to the voice of the Father.

Though he rose from the dead and ascended into the invisible glory of heaven, Christ still comes into all the villages of the earth today as someone who is literally to be consumed by his mission.

Take, eat!
This is my body given up for you.
Take, drink!
This is my blood shed for you.

With his Eucharist, Christ our risen Lord still shows to his Church the marks of zealous obedience and compassion in his hands and side.

As he does so, he still hands over to us what he handed over on the cross and what he— newly risen— handed over in the upper room.

In his body and blood, he is still on a mission from the Father, breathing out to us the Father’s gift.

As the Father sent me, so I send you.
Receive the Holy Spirit!

In his Eucharistic Flesh and Blood, Christ himself also gives us the Holy Spirit.

If we dare accept the gifts of the Eucharist, then together with the Son of God we must accept the mission that Christ accepted, and we must hand ourselves over to be consumed by the Father’s will, consumed for the Father’s glory, and consumed for all men and women and for their salvation.

With zealous obedience and compassion!

As Christ tells us: Do this in memory of me.

Turn. Love. Repeat.

Previous Post

February 4, 2021

A Blue-Collar Worker Has a Right to Define the Priesthood

Next Post

February 13, 2021 God, Maker of Earth: Creator of the Body, Lover of the Body, Savior of the Body

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I killed 600 Philistines with nothing but an oxgoad. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Samson Ehud Gideon Shamgar