“Scratchpad Reflections are daily meditations on the scripture readings for the date noted and are written by Dominican Brother Daniel Thomas to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the daily liturgies and Masses of celebration. Here is the reflection for:

May 25, 2016 – Wednesday in the 8^th Week of the Church Year

Saint for the day: Bede the Venerable (672?-735)

Scripture Readings for today’s Liturgy:

1 Peter 1:18-25     –     Psalm 147     –     Mark 10:32-45

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (John 21:17)

Most of us are quick to say, “yes” to this question but when ‘push comes to shove’ we are more like Peter …”I don’t know the man!” (Three times!) Yet the mercy of God wins out and we are always drawn back into that relationship.

Now that we are back into the “counted weeks of the Church year” we go back to the fundamentals of all that is entailed in our following of Jesus. And this passage from Mark’s Gospel has the “Sons of Thunder,” James and John padding their odds early on. “We have left all to follow you … what’s in it for us?” This question comes from the guys who were part of the inner circle of those who were often taken aside to experience a deeper sense of the reality of Jesus. They were taken up the Mountain of Transfiguration and also drawn in to the Agony in the Garden. They were as close to Jesus as was possible yet they were still falling back to “hedging their bets.” I’m sure that most of us would be right in there with them if we had the chance. Popular piety builds on this phenomenon with the promises that saying such-and-such prayers will guarantee our speedy entrance into heaven. I remember, as a youngster, doing nine “First Friday’s” in a row with the promise that at death I would use this “fast-pass-ticket” to get me right into Heaven. But I took it to the next level and tried to do nine sets of nine First Fridays for a sure-fire ticket into Heaven.

In afterthought, I’m glad that I never accomplished this feat since the reality of following Jesus requires only that we love Him and follow Him as best we can. And when we fall we can turn the phrase around and ask, “How many times will you forgive me? Seven times?”    And we know the answer is unlimited: seven times seventy times… Our God is a patient, loving, forgiving God.” Amen!