In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Mark 1:35-39
Καὶ πρωῒ ἔννυχον λίαν ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθεν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κἀκεῖ προσηύχετο
καὶ κατεδίωξάν αὐτὸν ὁ Σίμων καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ
καὶ εὗροντες αὐτὸν λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ὅτι Πάντες ζητοῦσίν σε
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Ἄγωμεν εἰς τὰς ἐχομένας κωμοπόλεις ἵνα κἀκεῖ κηρύξω· εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐξελήλυθα
καὶ ἦν κηρύσσων ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν εἰς ὅλην τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλων
morning; still dark – Mark’s doubling of timing again
ἔρημον – deserted; we get our word “hermit” from this. The desert is a sacred place.
Simon (who will be named “Peter” Mark 3:16)
καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ – and those with him; NRSV: “companions”
λέγουσιν – present active indicative third person plural; literally, “they say”
κωμοπόλεις literally “village cities”
proclaiming in the synagogues; preaching is in the synagogues. The location of casting out demons is not indicated.
As this year the Sunday Gospel reading focus is on St Mark’s Gospel, This is some of my personal study and Lectio Divina with that Gospel.
This is the eleventh post in a series – you can begin here:
Mark in Slow Motion 1
Mark in Slow Motion 2
Mark in Slow Motion 3
Mark in Slow Motion 4
Mark in Slow Motion 5
Mark in Slow Motion 6
Mark in Slow Motion 7
Mark in Slow Motion 8
Mark in Slow Motion 9
Mark in Slow Motion 10
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