Mark begins the Gospel story in the "wilderness" and it is from the "wilderness" that Jesus emerges. He is baptised by John the Baptiser and declared as God's beloved one, in whom God delights. The session ends with a reflection on Jesus' first words in Mark's Gospel: "The time is fulfilled, the reign ("basileia") of God had drawn near, repeat and believe in the Gospel" (Mk 1.15). These words offer the foundational perspective from which to view the rest of Mark's Gospel and the key attitudes to be cultivated by Jesus' disciples. We await to see how these display themselves.

Notes (from the Catholic Parish of Lockleys in South Australia--www.lockleysparish.com) that accompanies this presentation can be found here.