Father Alves will lead a reflection on the Gospel of Mark, chapters 8-10. Members of the congregation have been encouraged to read this central passage of the Gospel of Mark where Jesus teaches the disciples about his impending death and resurrection three times. Jesus is keenly aware of the need to form a community of disciples (followers) who will become apostles (those sent into the world to proclaim the good news and to continue his ministry in the world.) Jesus is also keenly aware that the message is difficult to absorb and that the disciples will only get it when they experience his death and resurrection. The gospel readings for our Sunday worship have come from these chapters over the past several weeks. In recent sermons Fr. Alves has explored the dynamic tension between the message of the Gospel and the voices those that Jesus encounters in the readings. For example, the disciples find themselves arguing about whom is the greatest among them while Jesus is trying to explain the mystery and paradox of the cross. Fr. Alves will briefly outline the content of the chapters and discussion will follow. Participants will benefit from reading and reflecting on the chapters.