St. Mark and Father Stedman.... in These titles mean nothing.

I’ve taken to reading the bible. Gospel of Mark. I’m using a nice sturdy little paper back I might have gotten from from my brother. It’s the the New International Version which the Evangelicals translated, copyright 1978. It’s easy to read and the quality of the writing is to my taste. I’m also finding it politically attractive.

It starts out with John the Baptist and continues with Jesus’ career as a preacher and healer. There is a good bit about the rock star aspect of Jesus - he drew large crowds and tried to hid his fame. His favorite disciples were James and John, brother fishermen that he called away from their father - to become fishes of men. Confirms my child name choice. Peter of course was the rock on which he built his church and the three names, Peter, James and John are often together.

I found verses supporting Social Security - involving the Honor thy Mother and Father commandment. I find a lot of anti-Pharisee stuff. I find the casting out of demons to be a part of his health care program, the mental health part. He cured people mainly of physical diseases. He fed them when they needed it, but seemed to believe people could generally take care of themselves. He did not like power or the rich. Jesus was a socialist and a small D democrat. He was not in favor of organized religion. He saw how it corrupts and becomes corrupt.

Running the three hundred demon infested hogs into the lake where they drowned might not have been environmentally sound but maybe there were enough fish in it to eat them. I wonder who owned hogs in Judea? Were they destined for the Roman army’s mess lines?

Anyway I sit on the sunny deck of a Sunday and read my Bible. Who’d a thought? I am expecting my Father Stedman’s Explained Missal, circa 1962, in tomorrow’s mail. I’ve been looking for one for a long time. A Missal is sort of an almanac. It lists the Sunday Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays throughout the year. The year begins four Sundays before Christmas with Advent. The rest of the year is based on Easter which is the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21st (first day of Spring, also the spring Equinox).

Father Stedman’s version of the Mass of course was the Latin version and I like those words. I remember the Latin which the priest and altar boy recited was on the right page and the English translation was on the left (or maybe vice versa - it’s been a long time). So I look forward to having my own little copy of it.

I also look forward to see what parts of the Gospel of St. Mark the church picked out to present in Sunday Masses. I will study variation in translation a bit too.