On the Way to Glory

Jesus calls his disciples to follow him on "the way." They, however, repeatedly misunderstand his teachings and resist his call. Consequently, Jesus seems to fail miserably in his mission to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God. He evokes the rejected "suffering servant" of Isaiah's prophecies. Mark questions the readers of his gospel, "How are you responding to Jesus abandoned, ostracized, mocked, and crucified?"

On the Way to Glory is an invitation to pray over certain passages in Mark's gospel, which illustrate Jesus's call to his disciples and their responses. Taken as a whole, these passages integrate the dynamics of St. Ignatius's "Spiritual Exercises."

I am indebted to my highly esteemed professor of both the gospels and St. Ignatius's "Spiritual Exercises," Father David Stanley, S. J., who wrote The Call to Discipleship: The Spiritual Exercises with the Gospel of Mark.