Gospel Reflection for The 17th day of February in the year of Our Lord, 2025

Mark 8:11-13

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, asking him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 12 And sighing deeply in spirit, he saith: Why doth this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, a sign shall not be given to this generation. 13 And leaving them, he went up again into the ship, and passed to the other side of the water.

Jesus has just provided food for thousands of people in a miraculous manner that only God could accomplish. Now wonder He seems frustrated that the Pharisees would ask Him for a sign to prove His divinity! He has already done everything that was foretold of the Messiah, short of His resurrection. He has raised the dead, given sight to the blind, caused the lame to walk, comforted the poor. He has commanded the very forces of nature.

We have discussed before that the reason the sin against the Holy Spirit was unforgivable is that it pertains to one so hardened of heart that they will not believe in the power of God. Here were the religious scholars and officials, experts in Judaism, refusing to believe that the man before them was the promised Messiah. He had literally done everything to prove it to them, but they refused to believe. How could they have faith in Jesus and His promise of salvation, if they could not even believe what their eyes saw?

We profess that Jesus is God. But unfortunately, far too few Catholics truly believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, that simple bread and wine becomes truly the spiritual body and blood of our Lord. Just like the Pharisees, we do not see with eyes of faith but are blinded by our own limited perception. But, we have no excuse. Our understanding is enlightened by the teachings of God and His Church. The highest authority there is has promised it to be true. We each must ask of ourselves whether we will be limited by our own human understanding or will we trust in God. If we believe that Jesus is God, we must believe His promises and obey His commandments. We cannot blame the Jews for losing faith when He promised to give them His flesh to eat, if we do the same.

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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.