Tuesday of week 6 in Ordinary Time

Hardness of mind and heart

Mark 8:14-21

The readings point out not the God who punishes but the One who saves.  It's because of the people' hardness of mind and heart that caused their doom.  They could have joined Noah's ark or better yet, they could have averted the destruction of the world via the flood.

In the gospel, Jesus gave the stern warning against the "yeast" of the pharisees.  Again, the hardness of mind and heart is there in the apostles.  Thus, Jesus said, "Do Not imitate them."

Let us be wary against closing our minds and hearts to the Lord because of these things:

First, let us rid ourselves of pride

Pride makes us closed-minded, only seeing things from our point of view.  Pride attributes everything to self, not to God.

Second, let us rid ourselves of greed

We do not own this world; we do not own our lives.  God owns us; and through his love we experience true life.


Third, let us rid ourselves of corrupt power.

Let us be servants of the Lord, not "lords".  Even true power emanates from God.

Do these three things and God iwill

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