Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 18, 2020
The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?”
They said to him, “Twelve.”
“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?”
And they said to him, “Seven.”
Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
How do we make sense of some keywords in today’s gospel, specifically: “leaven of the Pharisees… and Herod?’ Jesus’ warning to the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod is an indictment on their leadership as religious and political leaders. Last Friday, we saw Herod murder John the Baptist, to save face with his guests. The Pharisees, for their part, are a consistent example of religious hypocrisy in Mark’s Gospel.
Both the Pharisees and Herod are examples of the gulf between who we are called to be and who we might be if we rely on our own pride. Herod’s duty as a political leader was to serve justice and protect life, but, because of his ego, he executed John the Baptist even though he loved to listen to him. The Pharisees’ duty was to hand down to the people the Law of God which they received from Moses. They were called to lead others to God, but they failed in such duties due to their hypocrisy.
So what is the “leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod?” “Leaven” refers to the natural process of bread rising because of the presence of yeast in the air interacting with bread dough. So leavening itself is not bad but it provides a metaphor for how our discipleship can be corrupted. And the possibility for corruption is all around, in the very air that we breathe. The Pharisees and Herod were casual with the possibility of corruption, and as such, were subjected to it. This created the gulf between who they were supposed to be and who they were.
Christ vehemently reiterates the possibility and danger of neglecting the natural inclinations of discipleship, who we are. We have a nature and vocation of goodness as disciples, as such, our actions cannot be contradictory to our nature and vocations. Ignoring the nature of discipleship is disposing ourselves to the influence of the leaven, that is, “corruption.” Our calling is to be good people.
Prayer
Lord, in your miracle of the loaves and fishes your disciples did not recognize that you were revealing to them how close and abundant was the Father’s love for them. Help us to recognize the blessings of our lives, and grant us hearts of gratitude for the gifts you have given to us. Make us, too, generous with our gifts, that others—especially those in need—might also know of the extraordinary generosity of your love. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Simon was a bishop and martyr who followed Jesus, and may have even been related to him. Simon is not to be confused with Simon Peter, the disciple who was entrusted by Jesus as leader of the new Church.
The Gospel of Matthew tells of Jesus going to his hometown of Nazareth and how people there were astonished at him because they knew him as the carpenter’s son. “Is not his mother Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are his sisters not all with us?” (Mt 13:55). These “siblings” of Jesus may have been cousins (there is no word for “cousin” in Aramaic, hence the designation as brother), or perhaps children of Joseph from a previous marriage.
Simon, in any case, was related to Jesus, and was older by about eight years. He was among the 72 followers of Jesus present at Jesus’ Ascension, and he was one of the followers present when the Spirit descended at Pentecost.
Simon’s brother, St. James the Lesser, was bishop of Jersualem before he was killed for his faith. The disciples unanimously appointed Simon as his successor.
When civil war broke out in Palestine in year 66, Romans destroyed the city. Simon led the Christians to live in a smaller city nearby, called Pella, until the Romans left. The community returned to Jerusalem to live among the ruins of the city, and the faith flourished there, thanks to Simon, and they converted many to follow Christ.
In the Roman persecution, Simon was arrested for being both Christian and of Jewish heritage, and was tortured and crucified. Tradition has it that he was very old—nearly 120—when he was martyred, but that he bore his sufferings with courage that won the admiration of the Roman governor overseeing the persecution.
St. Simon’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Simon, you followed your cousin, Jesus, in life and death, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Simon is in the public domain. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
