The Gospel: A gift from Jesus to us
A Gospel Enquiry
Introduction
In a homily, which he preached on 30 January, 2014, Pope Francis described three pillars of belonging in the Church: humility, faithfulness and the act of service, which is praying for the Church. Let us focus on the second pillar because it plays a critical part in the Gospel Enquiry.
Pope Francis looks to Pope St Paul VI for insight related to faithfulness, who reminds us that we receive the Gospel as a gift; it is not ours because it belongs to Jesus. We must not make ourselves “masters of the Gospel” and to use it as if it is our own.
The “Judge” part of the Enquiry challenges us to see the world as Jesus sees it. In his book Discovering God through Action and Reflection, Fr Mike Deep, OP, explains that
whenever we read the Gospel, our interpretation is based, to a large extent, on our own assumptions, our own life experiences, and our own attitudes and prejudices.
He asks the question: “Is there any way we can make a “true” judgement, without our own subjective experience getting in the way?” If we accept his answer, then in the “Judge” section of the Enquiry, we will make use of commentaries and theological reflection to “help us locate our reflection within the broad Church tradition.”
So, what does this mean for those who participate in Gospel Enquiries? Perhaps their first action will be to deepen their understanding of the Gospel passage and how the Church’s tradition reflects its acceptance of the gift of the Gospel.
The Gospel
Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’ (Mark 4:21-25)
The Enquiry
See
This reading comes from Mark’s collection of parables in Chapter 4 of his Gospel. What message from Jesus links these two parables?
Identify situations in peoples’ lives today where the message of Jesus found in these parables has relevance. What is “hidden” and “secret” in these situations? What has happened that helps to explain the second parable?
What do you accept as evidence of the truth of Jesus’ message in these parables?
Judge
Mark’s Gospel was written for Gentile Christians living in Rome. Their faith was under attack. They feared for their lives. What message might they take from these stories and how is that message relevant to you today?
How is your faith challenged by what Jesus tells you through these parables? Do you hide your faith “under the bed”?
What does Jesus want your life and your faith to be like?
Act
What do you want to change in yourself so that you can be a part of the change in the world”?
What action can you carry out this week that will contribute to the change you would like to be?
Who can you involve in your action, when, how often and how?
Image source: AI generated image based on Psalm 119: The majesty of God’s Word: A devotion to the Law, Biblepics, CC BY-NC 4.0
Worth reading:
Pope Francis (2015). Encountering Truth: Meeting God in the Everyday, especially Chapter 163: It is an absurd dichotomy to love Christ without the Church.
Discovering God through Action and Reflection, by Fr Mike Deeb, OP., especially “5.2 A Spirituality of Permanent Search for the Truth”