In commenting on liturgical readings and feasts of the Church, I have found myself wishing that I could ’say more’, or better, ’say more systematically’. So, what I have suggested and have been given permission to do is offer a systematic run through Mark’s Gospel (later, other New Testament writings), following the Gospel as Mark has laid it out, chapter by chapter. The hope is that a fuller understanding of the purpose of Mark and how he achieved this purpose through his stories about Jesus will ultimately serve to clarify each story of the Gospel. That is, we will be able better to understand a passage by looking at the passage itself, but also by consistently asking ourselves how the passage fits into the purpose of the Gospel. I will offer a blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, beginning September 1; we begin with Mark 1, 1. I hope you will join me in this new direction of blogging; I hope, too, that what we do here will help both preaching and prayer. Thank you, John Kilgallen, S.J.