St Mark's Gospel Reflections

Liturgical Year B: Mark readings. An Introduction by Fr Dries van den Akker SJ.

Last year was called ‘The Year of the Word’. The Sunday readings were taken from the Gospel of Matthew. Artist Peter Clare had made a series of almost 200 paintings following Matthew’s Gospel pericope after pericope. That was a nice opportunity to combine The Year of the Word with his paintings.

This year we continue our meditations about the Sunday readings, now most of the time taken from the Gospel of Mark.

Actually, 30 years ago Peter Clare made a painting containing the whole Gospel of Mark: a sort of labyrinth (below).

It is composed as a monstrance or as a Celtic cross. In the centre we see the scene of Jesus’ resurrection; above that Jesus’ transfiguration and at the bottom his baptism. The scenes are separated by a golden line. Beginning with Jesus’ baptism (1:1-11) we have to look where the golden line is interrupted to find out the way to the next scene: Jesus in the desert (1:12) tempted by the devil (1:13). Climbing higher we see how John the Baptist is arrested (1:14) and how Jesus takes his place to preach the Gospel (1:15). And so on. It is already a meditation to take time and to discover how the different scenes are represented and placed one after another.

Peter Clare - Synopsis of Gospel (map)

Peter Clare - Synopsis of Gospel (text)

Every Sunday the Gospel reading is taken from Mark we will cut out of the big painting the little piece that illustrates the Mark story. Besides that we will present another picture which illustrates the same story plus a meditation about it.

In liturgical Year B some Sundays the readings are taken from other Gospels, especially Saint John’s. In that case we cannot ‘quote’ the Mark painting. We will choose any picture for our meditation.

Fr Dries is a member of the formation team of the International Novitiate.

He taught RE for many years in the beautiful city of Delft.

He is an expert on the Saints land on the history of Western Christian Art and he is a fine bible scholar who has just completed a new commentary on Mark’s Gospel.

A Whistlestop Tour of Mark by David McLoughlin

DOWNLOAD A Whistlestop Tour of Mark

Picture Meditation Sunday 25 April

4th Sunday Easter: John 10,11-18 ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.' Read more

Picture Meditation: Sunday 18 April

'He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, 'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this'. Read more

Picture Meditation: Sunday 11 April

'Then he spoke to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe'. Thomas replied, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe'. Read more

Picture Meditation: Sunday 4 April, Easter

'On entering the tomb they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, 'There is no need to be so amazed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him'. Read more

Picture Meditation: Sunday 28 March, Palm Sunday

'Then they took the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on its back, and he mounted it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others greenery which they had cut in the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were all shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of David our father! Hosanna in the highest heavens!' Read more

Picture meditation: Sunday 21 March

John 12,20-33 12:20 Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 12:21 These approached Philip, who came from Bethsaida in Galilee, and put this request to him, 'Sir, we should like to see Jesus.' 12:22 Philip went to tell Andrew, and Andrew and Philip together went to tell Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied to them: Now the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Read more