Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, Monday, February 4, 2024

Picture taken on the 2022 PAPA Holy Land Pilgrimage on the Sea of Galilee

Gospel

MK 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,

Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret

and tied up there.

As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.

They scurried about the surrounding country

and began to bring in the sick on mats

to wherever they heard he was.

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,

they laid the sick in the marketplaces

and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;

and as many as touched it were healed.

Reflection

"After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,

Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret

and tied up there."

As I read and re-read this Gospel reading, I found that I wanted context into what was what going on. So, in Mark chapter 6, the disciples went with Jesus to his hometown and saw Jesus rejected, and Jesus was amazed at the peoples lack of faith there. In my mind faith was the key word in that part of chapter 6. Then right after the disciples witnessed their teacher being rejected, Jesus sent them off two by two to go and preach repentance. They went and cured the sick and helped many people come to the faith. The reflection from this Gospel reading has a comment at the bottom from "Yours Truly" that sheds some light on faith in our world today. Here is the link to that reflection.

Then we hear of Herod's opinion of Jesus, because with the disciples going out and spreading the Good News of Jesus, His fame is speading. Herod believes that Jesus is John the Baptist who he beheaded and has been raised up from the grave. Then we get a back story on the death of John the Baptist. Here we see the compassion of the disciples, that when they heard about John the Baptist's death they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Then the disciples come back together and give a report of all that they had done and taught. Jesus saw that they were tired and wanted to get them some rest, so they went off by boat to a deserted place, but the people did not leave them alone and came in numbers. So then we see Jesus feed the 5,000. Afterwards, Jesus still wants the disciples to go and rest a while, so he send them to Bethsiada ahead of him by boat, while He dismisses the crowds and goes up the mountain to pray. Then the disciples get another lesson on faith with Jesus walking on the water. And finally we come to the end of chapter 6, to this Gospel reading and see that when they arrive at Gennesaret, the people recognize them and come to be healed.

All of these instances happened somewhere on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Gennesaret, where they are in this Gospel, is where we were when we went to the Holy Land in 2022 and got to ride on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. We saw a boat that is said to have been from the time of Jesus.

Picture taken in Ginnosar (Gennesaret) the boat found that is from Jesus time.

People today are still seeking Jesus and His healing. Why do people go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land? Why do people study the Bible? I think if we could only touch the tassel of His cloak...

Keep seeking. Jesus reveals himself through these Gospel readings. I know I learn something new every time I read the living Word of God, if I am truly seeking Him.