The Way: withdrawing to the Tent

WORD 2day: Thursday, 2nd week in Ordinary time

January 23, 2025 - Hebrews 7:25 - 8:6; Mark 3: 7-12

Jesus very often withdrew by himself, or with his discples or with some select apostles - this was his customary routine. There was a reason he prefered this retreat very often and the Word today explains that to us, not just for our edification but also as an example to follow, the way to orient our lives. 

First of all, it refers to the all-encompassing mission that Jesus had. He had it from his Father who sent him. As he himself often clarified, he did nothing or said nothing that the Father had not told him to! Hence his entire mission was according to the Father - it was like, he was constructing a Tent, just as Moses was instructed to construct, the Tent of Meeting or the Tent of the Covenant that Moses had to construct, in exact terms as God instructed him. 

Jesus was doing exactly the same - was constructing a Tent of Covenant, only that, this time the Tent of the Covenant was to remain forever, and it was his own Self. Jesus himself was the Tent, the Space of encounter, the possibility of getting in touch with the Father and the Eternal Will. This he was doing, by doing exactly what the Lord was instructing him to do... here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. In doing that Jesus was showing us the way how we can approach the tent of the Covenant. 

Jesus was withdrawing not only to the Tent, but as the Tent, in which we can encounter the Lord, and the Lord's will. Today, this is the message given to us - amidst all that we do and all that we wish to do in good will, let us never forget to withdraw to the Tent, encounter the Lord and the Lord's will, that we may always live in the guarantee that we are in that Presence, that Presence that makes us cry out: You are the Son of God!