Adrienne von Speyr - Mark: Meditations on the Gospel of Mark

MARK: MEDITATIONS FOR A COMMUNITY

ADRIENNE VON SPEYR

Meditations for a
Community

TRANSLATED BY
MICHELLE K. BORRAS

IGNATIUS PRESS SAN FRANCISCO

Original German edition:
Markus: Betrachtungspunkte fr eine Gemeinschaft
1971 by Johannes Verlag, Einsiedeln

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations (except those within citations) have been taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible, Second Catholic Edition, 2006. The Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible: the Old Testament, 1952, 2006; the Apocrypha, 1957, 2006; the New Testament, 1946, 2006; the Catholic Edition of the Old Testament, incorporating the Apocrypha, 1966, 2006; the Catholic Edition of the New Testament, 1965, 2006 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

Saint Mark
by Fra Angelico

From the outside panel of the Linauoli altarpiece.
1433-1435
Post-restoration
Museo di S. Marco, Florence, Italy
Scala / Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita cultural /
Art Resource, New York

Cover design by Roxanne Mei Lum

2012 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-58617-776-8
Library of Congress Control Number 2012933888
Printed in the United States of America

( Chapter and verse of the Gospel in parentheses; followed by the numbering of the meditations, outside the parentheses )

John the Baptist (1:1-8): 1-8

The Baptism of Jesus (1:9-11): 9-10

The Temptation in the Wilderness (1:12-13): 11

Jesus Begins to Preach (1:14-15): 12-13

The Calling of the First Four Disciples (1:16-20): 14-16

Jesus Teaches in Capernaum and Heals a Possessed Man (1:21-28): 17-22

The Healing of Simons Mother-in-law (1:29-31): 22-23

Numerous Healings (1:32-34): 24-25

Jesus Secretly Leaves Capernaum and Travels through Galilee (1:35-39): 26-28

The Healing of a Leper (1:40-45): 29-32

The Healing of a Cripple (2:1-12): 33-40

The Calling of Levi (2:13-14): 41-42

Jesus Eats with Sinners (2:15-17): 43-45

The Question about Fasting (2:18-22): 46-50

Plucking Heads of Grain (2:23-28): 51-54

Healing a Man with a Withered Hand (3:1-6): 55-60

The Press of the Crowd (3:7-12): 61-65

The Appointing of the Twelve (3:13-19): 66-70

The Attitude of Jesus Relatives (3:20-21): 71-72

Diatribe of the Scribes (3:22-30): 73-80

The True Relatives of Jesus (3:31-35): 81-83

The Parable of the Sower (4:1-9): 84-89

Why Parables? (4:10-12): 90-91

Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower (4:13-20): 92-96

Parable of the Lamp (4:21-23): 97

Parable of the Measure (4:24-25): 98-99

Parable of the Seed that Grows on Its Own (4:26-29):100-102

Parable of the Mustard Seed (4:30-32): 103-104

Conclusion of the Parables (4:33-34): 105

The Calming of the Storm at Sea (4:35-41): 106-111

The Gerasene Demoniac (5:1-20): 112-123

The Healing of the Woman with a Flow of Blood and the

Raising of Jairus Daughter (5:21-43): 124-136

Jesus at Nazareth (6:1-6): 137-139

Sending Out the Twelve (6:7-13): 140-142

Herod and Jesus (6:14-16): 143

Execution of John the Baptist (6:16-29): 144-151

First Multiplication of the Loaves (6:30-44): 152-158

Jesus Walks on Water (6:45-52): 159-163

Healings in the Region of Gennesaret (6:53-56): 164-165

Discourses of Controversy over the Pharisees Tradition (7:1-13): 166-169

Teachings about What Is Clean and Unclean (7:14-23): 170-172

Healing of the Syrophoenician Womans Daughter (7:24-30):173-175

Healing of a Deaf-Mute (7:31-37): 176-178

Second Multiplication of the Loaves (8:1-10): 179-182

The Pharisees Demand for a Sign (8:11-13): 183-184

The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod (8:14-21): 185-188

Healing of a Blind Man in Bethsaida (8:22-26): 189-191

Peters Confession of Faith (8:27-30): 192-194

First Announcement of the Suffering (8:31-33): 194-195

Conditions of Discipleship (8:34-9:1): 196-198

The Transfiguration (9:2-8): 198-203

Question about Elijah (9:9-13): 204-206

Healing of the Epileptic Boy (9:14-29): 207-215

Second Announcement of the Suffering (9:30-32): 216-218

Who Is the Greatest? (9:33-37): 218-221

Using Jesus Name (9:38-40): 222-223

Helpful Love Shown to the Disciples (9:41): 224

Scandal (9:42-50): 225-228

Question about Divorce (10:1-12): 229-233

Jesus and Children (10:13-16): 234-236

The Rich Young Man (10:17-22): 237-241

The Danger of Riches (10:23-27): 241-244

The Question about the Reward (10:28-31): 245-246

Third Announcement of the Suffering (10:32-34): 247-248

The Request of the Sons of Zebedee (10:35-41): 249-253

Duty of the First to Serve (10:42-45): 253-254

Healing of the Blind Man in Jericho (10:46-52): 255-258

Messianic Entry into Jerusalem (11:1-11): 259-262

The Unfruitful Fig Tree (11:12-14): 262-263

The Cleansing of the Temple (11:15-19): 264-265

The Withered Fig Tree; Faith and Prayer (11:20-26): 266-268

The Question about Authority (11:27-33): 269-272

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (12:1-12): 273-278

The Question about Taxes (12:13-17): 279-281

The Question about the Resurrection of the Dead (12:18-27): 281-283

The Question about the Greatest Commandment (12:28-34) 284-285

Jesus Question about the Messiah (12:35-37a): 286

Jesus Judgment of the Pharisees (12:37b-40): 286-287

The Widows Offering (12:41-44): 288

Second Coming Discourses. Introduction (13:1-4): 289-290

The Beginning of the Sufferings (13:5-13): 290-295

The Great Distress of Jerusalem (13:14-23): 296-297

The Coming of the Son of Man (13:24-27): 298

The Time of the Second Coming (13:28-32): 299

Admonition to Watchfulness (13:33-37): 300-301

Plotting against Jesus (14:1-2): 302

The Anointing at Bethany (14:3-9): 303-306

Judas Betrayal (14:10-11): 307

Preparing the Passover Feast (14:12-16): 308-310

Identifying the Betrayer (14:17-21): 310-312

The Institution of the Eucharist (14:22-25): 313-314

Prediction of Peters Denial (14:26-31): 314-316

At the Mount of Olives (14:32-42): 317-322

The Arrest of Jesus (14:43-52): 323-326

Jesus before the Sanhedrin (14:53-65): 327-331

Peters Denial (14:66-72): 332-334

Jesus before Pilate (15:1-15): 335-339

The Crowning with Thorns (15:16-18): 340

(No meditations were given for Mark 15:19-47)

The Empty Tomb and the Angels Message (16:1-8): 341-345

Apparitions of the Risen One (16:9-20): 346-353

These points for meditation on the Gospel of Mark were given by Adrienne von Speyr between October 11, 1945, and March 7, 1948, to the members of the Community of Saint John, which she founded; the editor gave only the first points, as an introduction to the rest, but was not present when the rest of the points were dictated and taken down in shorthand in the community. The text was gathered up to form the book; material directly concerned with persons or situations within the community was left out. Nevertheless, the general situation is thoroughly retained: the meditations are addressed to young people who have made a decision for the state of the evangelical counsels in a worldly profession, for a secular institute that was coming into being. This does not keep these contemplative explications of the texts, which are concerned with meditation on Holy Scripture, from having much to offer to everyone. As always, Adrienne von Speyr speaks here from the fullness of her own contemplation, which continually has the unified nature of Christian, dogmatic truth as its object; without the trappings of exegesis or any other form of scholarly ambition, she hands on the gift that was given to her. Because she is addressing young women who are novices, her train of thought is simple and practical.