Stretch out your Hand – Mark 3:1-6 Reflection
Many Christian churches (including mine before COVID-19) gather at community gardens after Services. The produce from the gardens goes to local food pantries. It is a way of humbly doing good and saying to the stranger in our town, “stretch out your hand.” These garden ministries do so with immense joy. There are significant other types of ministries helping others with prayer and action. This is how we can restore luster to the garden (God’s gift to us in Genesis) on Sabbath as Jesus did. More personally, I am currently doing very well against advanced but curable cancer. I have seen firsthand how the community of friends and family have stretched their hands to help me as I deal with my metaphorical, withered hand.
The Man with the Withered Hand by James Tissot. (full-resolution image of painting).
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Mark 3:1-6 – Scripture*
The Man with a Withered Hand
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Mark 3:1-6 Reflection – stretch out your hand.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Mark 3 passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Page and discussion group on these Lectio Divina daily Gospel Readings.
Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.