Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Additional Information about St. Francis de Sales[1]
Readings for Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible (for the Feast of St Francis de Sales)
Commentary:
Reading 1 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Following David’s defeat of Goliath, Saul, now deprived of the Lord since he failed to do as God commanded through Samuel, becomes jealous of David because the Lord is clearly with him. Saul’s plot to kill David is thwarted through the intervention of his son Jonathan. Although Saul swears that David will not be killed, the spirit of evil has entered Saul where the Lord had left and this promise is short lived.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Psalm 56 is a lament in which the psalmist is being pressed by enemies but has faith that God will be with them. They further pledge continuing faithfulness in thanksgiving for the Lord’s help.
Gospel Mark 3:7-12
This passage from St. Mark’s Gospel gives a summary of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. His rising popularity is a testament to the power of what he teaches and the signs he performs are a prelude to the universal spread of the Gospel message. The encounter with unclean spirits is met, as earlier, with attempts to ward off his power over them using his title “You are the Son of God”.
Homily:
As we continue to reflect upon the fullness of Christ’s revelation to us during this brief interlude between Christmas and Lent, we are given scripture that shows us that following Christ and acting in accordance with God’s will is not an instant recipe for a care free life.
We have been following the exploits of young King David in the First Book of Samuel. Yesterday we heard the story of how, with God’s help, he slew the great Philistine, Goliath, against all odds. We would think that this deed, coupled with the clear indication that God was with him would set him on an easy course and little would slow his growth into the great role he was to assume. We are told, however, the spirit of evil was upon Saul, David’s predecessor, and that even though David had been loyal to him; Saul was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. An easy path for David? We don’t think so.
Next we see the Lord ministering to the crowds in Galilee in St. Mark’s Gospel. The people love him. They are pressing in on him as his charisma draws all people to him. But, we have already seen that his rise in stature among the people has caused those in religious power in the region, the powerful Scribes and Pharisees, to begin to plot against him. We are also told that the evil one lurks among those who come to him for help. An easy time for Jesus, the Son of God? We know it won’t be.
Oh, and lest we forget, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis de Sales. Look at his long suffering work and see what an easy life he had once he found his call and followed God’s will.
As we see these three examples of upright and courageous faith in God we are challenged in our own motives. If we think that because we are being faithful to God’s will and following his commandments that we will walk unmolested through life, we are mistaken. Scripture forces us to understand that our righteous actions will be met with resistance in this secular world. If we are following the Lord because we think that path will always provide happiness and peace, we are mistaken.
Why then, we may ask, since the path will be difficult, should we follow in Christ’s footsteps? What benefit is there for us if all it gains us is this resistance? The short answer must come from deep within us. The short answer is that it is the “right” thing to do and the right thing is usually not the easy thing. We might as well ask; why should police officers perform their duties, or why would anyone volunteer for the military to protect the rights and freedoms of the country. To a lesser degree, the answers to these questions are the same as the one we ask ourselves.
In our case there is an even more compelling reason. Not only is it the right thing to do, but there are rewards to faithfulness – they were promised by the Lord. And we must also remember there is a punishment for following the dark path – also promised and irrevocable. Oh, and the path of faith does have its benefits. The Holy Spirit provides inner peace in situations that destroy others. The Lord provides consolation in our difficulties because He is with us always. So the answer is easy after all.
Pax
[1] The picture today is “St. Francis de Sales” artist and date UNKNOWN
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Additional Information about St. Francis de Sales[1]
Readings for Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible (for the Feast of St Francis de Sales)
Commentary:
Reading 1 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Following David’s defeat of Goliath, Saul, now deprived of the Lord since he failed to do as God commanded through Samuel, becomes jealous of David because the Lord is clearly with him. Saul’s plot to kill David is thwarted through the intervention of his son Jonathan. Although Saul swears that David will not be killed, the spirit of evil has entered Saul where the Lord had left and this promise is short lived.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Psalm 56 is a lament in which the psalmist is being pressed by enemies but has faith that God will be with them. They further pledge continuing faithfulness in thanksgiving for the Lord’s help.
Gospel Mark 3:7-12
This passage from St. Mark’s Gospel gives a summary of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. His rising popularity is a testament to the power of what he teaches and the signs he performs are a prelude to the universal spread of the Gospel message. The encounter with unclean spirits is met, as earlier, with attempts to ward off his power over them using his title “You are the Son of God”.
Homily:
As we continue to reflect upon the fullness of Christ’s revelation to us during this brief interlude between Christmas and Lent, we are given scripture that shows us that following Christ and acting in accordance with God’s will is not an instant recipe for a care free life.
We have been following the exploits of young King David in the First Book of Samuel. Yesterday we heard the story of how, with God’s help, he slew the great Philistine, Goliath, against all odds. We would think that this deed, coupled with the clear indication that God was with him would set him on an easy course and little would slow his growth into the great role he was to assume. We are told, however, the spirit of evil was upon Saul, David’s predecessor, and that even though David had been loyal to him; Saul was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. An easy path for David? We don’t think so.
Next we see the Lord ministering to the crowds in Galilee in St. Mark’s Gospel. The people love him. They are pressing in on him as his charisma draws all people to him. But, we have already seen that his rise in stature among the people has caused those in religious power in the region, the powerful Scribes and Pharisees, to begin to plot against him. We are also told that the evil one lurks among those who come to him for help. An easy time for Jesus, the Son of God? We know it won’t be.
Oh, and lest we forget, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis de Sales. Look at his long suffering work and see what an easy life he had once he found his call and followed God’s will.
As we see these three examples of upright and courageous faith in God we are challenged in our own motives. If we think that because we are being faithful to God’s will and following his commandments that we will walk unmolested through life, we are mistaken. Scripture forces us to understand that our righteous actions will be met with resistance in this secular world. If we are following the Lord because we think that path will always provide happiness and peace, we are mistaken.
Why then, we may ask, since the path will be difficult, should we follow in Christ’s footsteps? What benefit is there for us if all it gains us is this resistance? The short answer must come from deep within us. The short answer is that it is the “right” thing to do and the right thing is usually not the easy thing. We might as well ask; why should police officers perform their duties, or why would anyone volunteer for the military to protect the rights and freedoms of the country. To a lesser degree, the answers to these questions are the same as the one we ask ourselves.
In our case there is an even more compelling reason. Not only is it the right thing to do, but there are rewards to faithfulness – they were promised by the Lord. And we must also remember there is a punishment for following the dark path – also promised and irrevocable. Oh, and the path of faith does have its benefits. The Holy Spirit provides inner peace in situations that destroy others. The Lord provides consolation in our difficulties because He is with us always. So the answer is easy after all.
Pax
[1] The picture today is “St. Francis de Sales” artist and date UNKNOWN
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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