Fresh Bread
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Mark 8: 14-21 - The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? 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 for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Leaven is a substance that makes dough expand. Because people baked their own bread in Jesus’ day, everyone knew that just a little bit of leaven or yeast can change the whole consistency, look, and feel of bread. Jesus talks about leaven in the Gospels as an example of how the presence of something very small can have a very big impact – either positively (as He speaks of Christians as leaven) or negatively (like the leaven of the Pharisees or Herod).
We can’t just allow “little” sins to continue. Certainly we have to be patient with ourselves (because God is patient with us) and not get overly concerned about our little faults, but on the other hand we have to take sin seriously. One major reason is because sin grows. Very serious (or “grave”) sins don’t usually just happen… they happen because we have allowed “little” sins to go unchecked, and then they grow bigger and bigger. The point is not that we should worry about our little issues, but that we consider these little issues that we might let slide: time-wasting, dishonesty, skipping prayer, disrespect of authority, gossip, inappropriate TV or music, cutting corners, laziness, crass jokes, etc. Remember, a little bad can have a big negative effect. On the other hand, the little good effort it will take to fight our faults can have an even greater positive effect.
Together as a family pray a portion of the Rosary (i.e. – very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture above. (Optional – allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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