From: Mark 8:14-21

The Leaven of the Pharisees (Continuation)

[14] Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them
in the boat. [15] And He (Jesus) cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” [16] And they discussed it
with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” [17] And being aware of it, Jesus
said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not
yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? [18] Having eyes do
you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? [19]
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of bro-
ken pieces did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” [20] And the seven
for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
And they said to Him, “Seven.” [21] And He said to them, “Do you not yet
understand?”

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Commentary:

15-16. In another Gospel passage—Luke 13:20-21 and Matthew 31:33—Jesus
uses the simile of the leaven to show the vitality of His teaching. Here “leaven”
is used in the sense of bad disposition. In the making of bread, leaven is what
causes the dough to rise; the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and Herod’s dissolute life,
stemming from their personal ambition, were the “leaven” which was poisoning
from within the “dough” of Israel and which would eventually corrupt it. Jesus
seeks to warn His disciples about these dangers, and to have them understand
that if they are to take in His doctrine they need a pure and simple heart.

But the disciples fail to understand: “They weren’t educated; they weren’t very
bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the
most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would
turn to the Master and ask: ‘Explain the parable to us.’ When Jesus uses the
image of the ‘leaven’ of the Pharisees, they think that He’s reproaching them for
not having purchased bread....These were the disciples called by our Lord. Such
stuff is what Christ chose. And they remain just like that until they are filled with
the Holy Spirit and thus become pillars of the Church. They are ordinary people,
full of defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless,
Jesus calls them to be fishers of men, co-redeemers, dispensers of the grace
of God” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 2). The same thing can happen
to us. Although we may not be very gifted, the Lord calls us, and love of God
and docility to His words will cause to grow in our souls unsuspected fruit of
holiness and supernatural effectiveness.

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Mass Readings

First reading	Genesis 6:5-8,7:1-5,10 ©

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that the thoughts in his heart fashioned nothing but wickedness all day long. The Lord regretted having made man on the earth, and his heart grieved. ‘I will rid the earth’s face of man, my own creation,’ the Lord said ‘and of animals also, reptiles too, and the birds of heaven; for I regret having made them.’ But Noah had found favour with the Lord.

The Lord said to Noah, ‘Go aboard the ark, you and all your household, for you alone among this generation do I see as a good man in my judgement. Of all the clean animals you must take seven of each kind, both male and female; of the unclean animals you must take two, a male and its female (and of the birds of heaven also, seven of each kind, both male and female), to propagate their kind over the whole earth. For in seven days’ time I mean to make it rain on the earth for forty days and nights, and I will rid the earth of every living thing that I made.’ Noah did all that the Lord ordered.

Seven days later the waters of the flood appeared on the earth.

Psalm	Psalm 28:1-4,9-10

Gospel	Mark 8:14-21 ©

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’