Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (3: 1-6) in which Jesus asks the people in the synagogue ‘Is it against the law on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or kill?Fr Paul notes, this is the last of five incidents in Mark, starting from Chapter 2.  They are five incidents in Galilee, and they are with the Jewish authorities. Later in the Gospel there will be five controversies with the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. In this group of incidents, the hostility towards Jesus grows and grows until at the end of today’s Gospel there is the hint of a death threat against Jesus. So, Fr Paul says, there is a shadow already hanging over Jesus.  We hear no more about the Herodians who are mentioned in this Gospel until the final plot is put into play.  This threat of harm or death adds a different dimension to the legal discussions that have occurred between the authorities and Jesus up to now.Fr Paul says, for our reflection, a shadow hangs over Jesus and asks, ‘Are there any shadows in my life that need the strength and courage of Jesus for me to overcome?’