Eucharistic Meditation

You may have noticed that there have been several meals thus far in the gospel of Mark or at least implied meals. In chapter one, Jesus calls the first four disciples and when Peter’s mother-in-law is healed of her fever, she gets up and serves them. We assume she served them tea and crumpets or whatever the Middle Eastern equivalent may have been. In chapter two, Jesus calls Levi, the tax collector, and then they are soon in a house dining together with a number of tax collectors and sinners. Now here in chapter three, Jesus appoints the rest of the twelve and having gone into the house, they are planning to have a meal together but there isn’t enough room, not even enough room to cut off a few slices of bread. But you will have noticed a pattern. Jesus calls his disciples and then sits down with them to eat. And it is not different here. If you are at this table, and all of you are, then you have been called here as his disciples. Do not doubt that you have been called. Do not wonder about the person sitting next to you: that’s the sort of thing the Pharisees would have done. Just rejoice and be glad. You’re here, and there’s no doubt about it. Here’s the bread; here’s the wine; the Master of the feast invites you.