January 24

Sanctity of life sunday

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;[a] repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”[b] 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

The gospel according to Mark

Mark 1:14-20

  1. How did either the Gospel passage of the Visio Divina exercise lead you personally into worship this week? 
  2. In verse 15 we get Jesus’ first articulation of his message in the Gospel of Mark. Is this how you usually think of the gospel? How does this expand or illuminate who Jesus is, what his mission is, and what following him means? What would Jesus proclaiming this over us mean for our lives in this time? Take some time to meditate on each part of his message, and then discuss what these phrases mean: 
  • The time is fulfilled
  • the kingdom of God is at hand
  • repent and believe the gospel
  1. What stands out to you as particularly surprising, confusing or moving about Jesus’ calling of his disciples? How is Jesus’ proclamation of his message in verse 15 connected with his call to his disciples that if they follow him, he will make them fishers of men? Think of a time when you heard Jesus’ call on your life. What similarities and differences were there to this passage? How was your response to him similar or different to the disciples’ response in this passage?

 

visio divina

Peter and John Running to the Tomb by Eugène Burnand, 1898, oil on canvas, 32”x52”

What are you most drawn to in this image? 
How are your emotions stirred by it? 
Ask the Lord to increase your holy desires.

Musical Devotion

Worship

Use these songs to guide your worship as you reflect on this week’s Gospel passage.

I Will Follow (Jon Guerra)

Build Your Kingdom Here (Rend Collective)

Classical

Engage with these pieces cognitively, emotionally, textually, and musically. Classical music can help us to uncover the many layers of Scripture by portraying characters, ideas, and emotions in musical form. Enjoy soaking in the music and the text (translated below).
 
Before listening to the Bach cantata, view Janna Williamson’s mini-lecture on How to Listen to Bach Cantatas.

Cantata: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 (J.S. Bach)

Miroirs (Reflections): III: Une barque sur l'Ocean (A boat on the ocean) (Maurice Ravel)