1 September 2011: Jesus tempted by the Pharisees

Immediately after the miracle of the loaves, Jesus and his disciples boarded a ship. On the eastern shore of the sea of Galilee they came to Magedan, a country which had not yet been evangelized.
Interpreters note on this occasion that as we follow the paths of Jesus, we easily see his intention to make himself known to all over Israel, so there should not be a province in Judaea which had not been enlightened by his teaching, and witnessed his miracles. It prefigures what his Apostles will do in the whole world.
The Gospel is silent about Jesus’ preaching and miracles in Magedan; but it relates the hypocritical alliance between the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were vehemently opposed to each other. Like all sects, they could agree in hostility towards our Lord.
“The Pharisees and Sadducees came; and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a heavenly sign.” (Mt 16:1) They wanted to lower him in people’s opinion by claiming him to be powerless if he did not work the miracle, or accusing him of sacrilege if he performed it.
“‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah’. And he went away.” (cf Mt 16:4) [The sign was asked to confirm Jesus’ mission; but he refused because of their obvious insincerity. (Juan MH Ledesma, SJ, STD, “The Life of our Lord Jesus Christ”, 1998, p127)]
Having fulfilled his mission in Magedan, Jesus boarded the ship for Galilee. They had only one loaf of bread in the boat. During the voyage, desiring to keep his Apostles against error, Jesus said to them, “Watch out, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod” (Mk 8:15).
Jesus knowing that the Apostles interpreted these words in a material sense said, “Why do you conclude it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of fragments did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve’.”
“‘When I broke the seven loaves for the four-thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you gather?’ They answered, ‘Seven’.” (Mk 8:16-21) “Then they understood that Jesus was not talking of yeast for bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (cf Mt 16:12)
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp546-8

‘The signs of the times’
Jesus uses man’s ability to forecast the weather to speak about the signs of the advent of the messiah.
He reproaches the Pharisees for not recognizing that the messianic times have in fact arrived: “For the Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good news, that is, the coming of the Kingdom of God, promised over the ages in the Scriptures: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15; Mt 4:17); those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ (Lk 12:32) have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest (cf Mk 4:26-9).
“The miracles of Jesus also demonstrated that the Kingdom has already come on earth: 'If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you' (Lk 11:20; cf Mt 12:28).” But principally the kingdom is revealed in the person of Christ himself, Son of God and Son of man, who came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 5).
Ref: “The Navarre Bible”, “The Gospel of St Matthew”, 1988, p143-4

Leaven
Yeast (leaven) makes the dough rise. However, it is a symbol of corruption among the Jews. The Pharisees and Herod have a corrupting influence. The Pharisees even attempted to test Jesus. Herod was hostile to Jesus by suspecting his identity. (cf Mk 6:14-6)
Here, Jesus warns his followers that corruption could enter their ranks. He recalls to them the profound meaning of the two feeding miracles he has just performed. In the first miracle, Jesus proves himself as the Messiah to the Jews. In the second, he proves himself as the Saviour to the Gentiles. In both, he provides full satisfaction to a basic human need.
In Jewish antiquity the numbers 12 and 7 represent fulness. To his disciples, Jesus presents himself as the fulness of the promises to both Jews and Gentiles over the Pharisees’ unbelief and Herod’s suspicions.
To the disciples who have forgotten to bring bread which is needed to sustain life, Jesus asserts that what is important is their losing a grip on faith, the key to the fulness of life; not that they have nothing to eat.
Ref: “The WORD Today”, on Mark 8:14-21, “365 Days with the Lord”, St Paul Press, Makati City, Metro Manila

Offering God our ordinary life
The deeds of each day, our work, each small act of service, all joy, pain, rest and fatigue graciously borne and offered to our Lord, are meritorious, thanks to the infinite merits Christ gained for us while on earth.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother and our Mother, alone shared fully the merits of Christ. Her purity made her merits greater and her actions more meritorious than anybody else’s. All her sorrows gained merits.
In the supernatural order our acts merit, by the Will of God, a reward which far exceeds all the honor and glory in the world. A Christian, in the state of grace, fulfilling the duties of his ordinary life gains more grace in his soul and merits eternal life. Our daily works are meritorious if done well and with an upright intention.
Our works become especially meritorious if we unite them to the merits of Christ and to those of Our Lady. Thus, we gain those graces of infinite value which our Lord won for us, primarily on the Cross, and which Our Lady also exceptionally earned for us, co-redeeming with her Son. God our Father then sees us worthy of sharers in the merits of Christ.
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 4:594; 597-8

• On the first Sunday of the month, in St Peter’s church, at Louvani, a feast is kept in honor of the Blessed Virgin, called the 'Collection of all the Feasts of Our Lady'. — Molanus, ad. Usuard, Martyrolog. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Collection of All the Feasts of Our Lady, celebrated at Louvain. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
• Collection of the Feasts of Our Lady (celebrated at Louvain, Belgium). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Louvain. Louvain, Belgium. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady “del Puche”. Valencia, Spain. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of the Girdle. Tortoso, Spain. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of “Remedios” Near Mexico City. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Solitude. Mexico City. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)