Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“David’s Dying Charge to Solomon”
by Ferdinand Bol,1643

 
Readings for Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
 
When the time of David’s death drew near,
he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
“I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways
and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees
as they are written in the law of Moses,
that you may succeed in whatever you do,
wherever you turn, and the Lord may fulfill
the promise he made on my behalf when he said,
‘If your sons so conduct themselves
that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart
and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line
on the throne of Israel.’”
 
David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
 
Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,
with his sovereignty firmly established.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12
 
This passage from the First Book of Kings provides a description of the succession of the Hebrew monarchy from David to his son Solomon. We note David’s final instructions to Solomon include the strict stipulation that he keep all of the “statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees” of the Law of Moses. This statement should not be viewed as a contradiction to the promise that David’s line shall be perpetual (see 1 Samuel 7:14ff).
 
The concluding verses establish the length of King David’s reign and the validity of the succession of the office to his son. It is clear from the language used that there should be no doubt as to Solomon’s right to assume his father’s position as king. Later, the author describes how those who sought to deny succession within the monarchy were removed.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: 1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd
 
R. (12b) Lord, you are exalted over all.
 
“Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity.”
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
 
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.”
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
 
“LORD, you are exalted over all.
Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you.”
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
 
“In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
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Commentary on 1 Chr 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd
 
This great hymn of praise from First Chronicles directs our thoughts toward the power and majesty of God the Father. It rejoices in his omnipotent reign over all the earth. It is called "David's Prayer," and consists of three parts.  This selection is the first part which is a solemn praise for God's sovereignty and power.
 
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Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
 
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
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Commentary on Mk 6:7-13
 
In this account, the Twelve are sent two by two to begin the ministry for which Christ has been preparing them. They have been with him since they were called. Now he sends them into the world to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God as Jesus had done. We note a few differences from the same account in  Matthew 10:5ff and Luke 10:1ff. First, in St. Mark’s account they are allowed to take a staff and sandals (prohibited in the other Gospels). Second, St. Mark does not mention a prohibition against entering “pagan territory,” a reflection of conditions in the region at the time of Mark’s authorship.
 
The disciples are encouraged to stay in one house as opposed to moving from one place to another (presumably to find greater comfort), so as to avoid giving insult to their host or appearing ungrateful. The instruction to “shake the dust off your feet” to those who were unwelcoming was seen as a testimony against those who rejected repentance.
 
CCC: Mk 6:7 765, 1673; Mk 6:12-13 1506; Mk 6:13 1511, 1673
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Reflection:
 
The common thread between the First Book of Kings and the Gospel of Mark is the idea that God’s mission is being passed on.  In the story of King David’s death, he passes on his monarchy to his son Solomon.  He does so with a solemn instruction to carefully keep all of the various elements of Mosaic Law.  Because this chronicle had been passed down through many generations, later authors added bits of language that in 1 Kings 2:1ff might sound contradictory.  God promised that David’s dynasty would be eternal, culminating as we know with Christ, our eternal king.  The instructions given nonetheless make it clear that God’s ongoing rule is primary, coming before all else that a monarch might be expected to do.
 
In St. Mark’s Gospel, Jesus passes on a different legacy, a different kind of monarchy.  He instructs his adopted heirs, the apostles, to take the news of God’s kingdom into the world.  He also has instructions for his friends.  He tells them what to take and how they should deport themselves as they take the Good News into the world.  He tells them that they should keep all of his statutes and laws.  As King David instructed Solomon about Mosaic Law, this is implicit in his charge to them.
 
For us, we hear that charge to take up God’s mission and move it forward.  We know that the legacy that is our faith has been faithfully handed down by those who have gone before us.  It is now our turn to take the Good News of the kingdom of God into the world, and our instructions, while slightly different, have many of the same elements.  We are to take the Word to the world in humility, offering not demanding.  We are to offer it freely, expecting nothing, for it was a free gift to us, purchased at a great price of pain.  And when the word is rejected, we are to walk away sad for their loss.
 
Today we pray for the strength to carry the Good News to the world in all we do.  May the grace given by our Savior allow us to be the best of examples to those we meet.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “David’s Dying Charge to Solomon” by Ferdinand Bol,1643.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

Proper readings for the Memorial of St. John Bosco

Biographical Information about St. John Bosco

“St. John Bosco”
artist and date were not sited

 

Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17
 
King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number.”
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
 
Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish.”
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”
David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man.”
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
“Enough now! Stay your hand.”
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred.”
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Commentary on 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17
 
Completing the Second Book of Samuel is this encounter between the pride of King David and God. The king seeks to measure his strength in terms of numbers of people who can serve in his army, thinking that this strength will bring him victory. Once he has completed the census, the prophet Gad comes, and he sees the sin he has committed in trusting in the strength of his arms instead of the Lord God.
 
Gad offers punishment options, the first of which is similar to that imposed because of Saul’s misdeeds (2 Samuel 21:1ff). The two other options each contain the number three, a number significant in that it represents the most intense representation of the event (three days of pestilence would imply the most intense pestilence). Just as the punishment is to strike Jerusalem, the king pleads with God, recognizing his power.  King David accepts the guilt for his deeds and attitude. Hearing David's contrition, God holds his angel back, similar to the way he withheld the hand of Abraham from striking down Isaac.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
 
R. (see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
 
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
 
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
 
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
 
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
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Commentary on Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
 
Psalm 32 is an individual hymn of thanksgiving. The psalmist (presumably King David) sings a song of gratitude that the Almighty Father has pardoned his sins (which were freely confessed). In spite of these blemishes, salvation is heaped upon the repentant person.
 
Providing hope for mankind following the story of “The Fall,” the psalmist is rejoicing for the one whose sins are forgiven. Then he gives thanks for God’s saving work, emphasizing that only the Lord can deliver man from sin.
 
CCC: Ps 32 304; Ps 32:5 1502
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Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
 
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
 
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
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Commentary on Mk 6:1-6
 
This passage is St. Mark’s account of the Lord returning to his hometown. As is his custom, he goes to speak in the synagogue and amazes the people he grew up with. The Lord encounters intense skepticism, born out of the fact that the people knew him before he took up his mission. In St. Luke's version (Luke 4:28ff), reference is made to the feeling that Jesus, in assuming the role of the Messiah, had blasphemed. The resulting attempt on his life is omitted in St. Mark's Gospel, but we still see the Lord’s response to their lack of faith. Non-canonical documents of the early Church Fathers (c. 400) refer to the relationships of the brothers and sisters of Jesus.  See The History of Joseph the Carpenter.
 
CCC: Mk 6:3 500; Mk 6:5 699; Mk 6:6 2610
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Reflection:
 
We are given a unique glimpse into the Lord’s early years in this account of Jesus returning home.  There is a reference to the period between age twelve when Jesus was presented at the temple the second time (Luke 2:41-50) and his baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17). The last we were told following his first presentation was: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40) That does not tell us much about his interaction with the community in which he grew up. This exchange, however, hints at what the young Jesus must have been like in those years.
 
When he came to teach in the synagogue that sabbath, we are told that those who heard him were “astonished.” They asked themselves where he had come by the knowledge and wisdom he displayed. In order for them to react the way they did, we can only assume that as a young man, Jesus was humble and unassuming. He did not presume to instruct his elders or even his peers. He was growing into what he must become, a humble and compassionate man who could weep for those who mourned at the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35).
 
The people of his community would have certainly seen the young Jesus, unassuming, learning the carpenter’s trade at the side of his foster father, St. Joseph. He would not have stood out among his peers with the exception that he never seemed to get into mischief. He could not take the lead in these early years except by example; his ultimate role was much larger.
 
Is it any wonder then that when he came home after his remarkable transformation at the Jordan, after going into the desert and confronting his nemesis, the people who knew him before he assumed his Father’s mission would be amazed and then angered? They were not with him to see the Holy Spirit descending upon him (Luke 3:22), they were not there when he returned from the desert (“in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all” (Luke 4:14-15)).
 
Now, robed as he was in his Father’s mighty mission, we can feel the Lord’s disappointment as the great lack of faith displayed by those friends with whom he had grown up was shown in their petty attacks on him. Such lack of faith would naturally prevent the full impact of his healing power from being effective with those people. We are told: “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there.”
 
And what message do we take away from this encounter? Do we think our friends and families will be kinder to us as we go through our ongoing conversion? We should expect to be received as Christ was, especially if we are away for a while and come home with great zeal for our faith. Human nature has not changed. Our hope remains in the Lord. When we do encounter this kind of response, we rejoice, for the trials we face for the faith are a blessing from God our Father. In this case, we know we are doing something right.
 
Pax
 
On this feast day in 2006 I started this daily apostolate. It is a “promesa,” a promise to God, to proclaim his Word in thanksgiving for a miracle. Thank you to those who have walked this journey of faith with me.

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[1] The picture is “St. John Bosco,” artist and date were not sited.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time

“Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus”
by Friedrich Overbeck 1815

Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
 
Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.
 
Now David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
“If he is alone, he has good news to report.”
The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.”
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
“Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the Lord has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you.”
But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!”
 
The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!”
 
Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.
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Commentary on 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
 
The tale of King David’s family continues with these verses. They describe the death of the king’s rebellious son, Absalom. It certainly must have felt like divine intervention that the leader of the rebel forces was accidentally caught by the hair as he passed under a tree. The end of Absalom was also against King David’s explicit orders. When Joab, the leader of King David’s forces, ordered the trapped prince to be killed, he did so in violation of his orders and, as we see, caused his king great grief.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
R. (1a) Listen, Lord, and answer me.
 
Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
 
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
 
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
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Commentary on Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
 
Psalm 86 is an individual lament. It asks for mercy from God. The psalmist sings of an afflicted life, and asks God to give his servant relief. The song indicates the faithfulness of the singer, even in times of distress.
 
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Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
 
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.
 
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to him,
“You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
 
While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
“Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep.”
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”
which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.
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Commentary on Mk 5:21-43
 
This selection from Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus continuing his journey of healing. The passage relates two interwoven examples of the power of faith in healing. First, it presents the synagogue official’s plea to Jesus to heal his daughter. This is important in that it is recognition of Jesus' status by the local faith community. An official from the synagogue would only consult with one widely recognized as an authority in spiritual matters.
 
On the way to the little girl, a woman with a hemorrhage that had been incurable by local physicians pressed in close and touched his cloak. She was cured; it was as if her faith reached out and touched Jesus. Unlike the others crowded around, he felt her touch among all the others. He turned and was able to specifically identify her. The Lord’s words to her were: “your faith has saved you.”
 
Arriving at the synagogue official's house, Jairus’ faith was tested a second time as he was informed his daughter had died. Jesus ignored these reports and proceeded to reward Jairus’ faith by bringing his daughter back from death, a sign of his mission to all mankind.
  
CCC: Mk 5:21-42 994; Mk 5:25-34 548; Mk 5:28 2616; Mk 5:34 1504; Mk 5:36 1504, 2616
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Reflection:
 
One of the many rewards of faith in a loving and merciful God is the consolation of Christ in times of grief.   Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI, expressed this much better than I could in his encyclical Spe Salvi:
 
“Indeed, to accept the 'other' who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio, ‘consolation’, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” (Spe Salvi, II, 38.)
 
In simple language, the grief or sorrow we experience, especially at the loss of a loved one, a friend, or even a relationship, is indeed the feeling of being alone, deprived of the person whose loss we have suffered.  Into this void comes Jesus, his loving hand outstretched, bridging the gap between life and death.  In him we are never alone.  It is his consolation that lifts us out of hopelessness and gives us grace to overcome even the greatest of obstacles.
 
As Pope Benedict said, Christ’s consolation is expressed most visibly though his followers (that would be us).  Our compassion for those who suffer becomes a miracle in itself.  It is not easy to accept another’s suffering though, is it?  Accepting that burden necessarily means to experience the pain felt by the one who suffers.  That pain, we submit, is quantifiable.  That is, there is only so much to go around and the more who share in that suffering, the less burdensome it becomes to the group within which it is shared.  It is Christ’s (con-solatio) consolation – we are no longer alone.
 
Today as we think about the grief of King David who endures the loss of a son and Jairus, who briefly was stabbed with the pain of losing a daughter, let us remember those who grieve the loss of those they love: husbands, wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers, and sisters.  May all those who suffer the loss be blessed with Christ’s steadfast presence and our offer to share their suffering so it might be lessened though the consolation and mercy of God.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ Resurrects the Daughter of Jairus” by Friedrich Overbeck 1815.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“Christ Encounters ‘Legion’”
by Alexandre Bida, c. 1880s

 
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13a
 
An informant came to David with the report,
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up!  Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.
 
As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
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Commentary on 2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13a
 
Recall that Nathan had said that the Lord would put enmity in the House of David for the sins of murder and adultery the king had committed when he took Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:8-12). Following this prediction, the child born to David and Bathsheba died, in spite of David’s contrite attempt to convince God to spare it. In addition, David’s eldest son Amnon was killed by another son Absalom after he (Amnon) had raped Absalom’s sister and then further dishonored her by casting her out.
 
These actions ultimately led to the situation we hear about in this passage. King David's son, Absalom, has supplanted David as king and David is forced to flee, fearing his household will be killed. He goes to the Mount of Olives, once more to beg for God’s mercy. Even though God has promised that David himself will not be killed, nothing good will come of this, and David is humiliated even further by Shimei, a bitter supporter of Saul who accuses King David of unjustly killing the former king and his sons.  David tells his guard not to hinder the rock throwing Shimei as he goes on his penitential pilgrimage explaining that he may be acting on God's orders, apparently accepting this humiliation as God's punishment.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
 
R. (8a) Lord, rise up and save me.
 
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
 
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
 
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
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Commentary on Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
 
Psalm 3 is a lament, singing of the plight of one attacked and oppressed by enemies on all sides. These strophes are clearly an echo of King David’s sorrow, as all that the Lord has given to him seems to be at risk with no sign that God will come to his aid. In spite of this apparent abandonment, the singer has faith that God will continue to defend his servant.
 
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Gospel: Mark 5:1-20
 
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
 
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
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Commentary on Mk 5:1-20
 
This is St. Mark’s version of Jesus casting out the multitude of demons and sending them into the herd of swine. Swine [pigs] are considered unclean animals under Hebrew dietary laws (Leviticus 11:7-8).  This action not only reinforces Jesus’ universal mission but adds a dimension of symbolism. It is important to note that this is a pagan region, so what the Lord is doing in helping the man with unclean spirits is ministering to non-Hebrews, indicating the breadth of his mission. Also in this story, the demon addresses him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God,” a title that identifies him clearly and without equivocation as the Messiah.
 
“Allegorically (St. Bede, In Marcum): the demoniac represents the Gentile nations saved by Christ. As pagans, they once lived apart from God amid the tombs of dead works, while their sins were performed in service of demons. Through Christ the pagans are at last cleansed and freed from Satan’s domination.” [4]
 
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Reflection:
 
Those of us who are not mystics (which means probably most of us these days) may have some belief issues with the story of Jesus casting out the unclean spirits described in the Gospel of St. Mark.  Did Jesus really cast out these unclean spirits and cause them to go into swine?  From a purely logical perspective, we see the message from the Gospel in the following way:
 
First, we understand, as St. Mark did, that Jesus has authority over all of God’s creation.  This authority is constantly being contested by the evil one who himself was cast out of God’s presence.  If we believe that God’s essence manifests itself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; can we not also believe that God’s greatest foe would not also have a spirit of evil that could find entry into the soul of humankind?
 
When Jesus encounters these manifestations, as he does in this fifth chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel, he recognizes it for what it is.  The man “had been dwelling among the tombs,” in other words, living among the dead and completely out of touch with humanity.  The encounter between this man and Jesus must have seemed surreal to the pagans who inhabited this region.  As we have seen time and again, evil recognizes good.  The spirit of evil recognizes its foe announcing: “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”  Seeing the essence of what he faced, Jesus commanded the spirit of evil to leave its human host.  The evil responds: “Swear by God you will not torture me!” (Jerusalem Bible translation).
 
The next part of the exchange has its roots in ancient lore.  It is presumed from ancient times that in order for one person to have authority over another person or thing they must use the proper name for that individual or item.  We see this from the earliest biblical references, as God gives man authority to name all of his earthly creation (Genesis 2:19-20) but withholds any name for himself (Exodus 3:13-14).  The implication is that man may not command God.  In this instance Jesus asks for the name of the unclean spirit to which he receives the reply: “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”
 
The formula is established, Jesus knows the name of the unclean spirits, and that fact is recognized as the spirit pleads with Jesus not to destroy them outright.  The spirits ask that they be sent into the swine that are there.  For the Jewish reader, to whom swine are considered “unclean,” this would make sense, unclean spirits being sent into unclean animals, reinforcing Mosaic Law.  Clearly even the lowly hogs could not stand their presence, since we are told they rushed into the sea and were drowned.
 
We’ve spent a lot of time dissecting the incident in Gerasene territory. So, what is the lesson there for us?  First, we must come to grips with the notion that there is a spirit of evil that is ready to move into us as soon as we let our guard down.  Second, the only protection we have against such attacks is the one who has authority over them, Jesus.  We must have him thoroughly installed so that when we encounter that spirit of evil we can recognize it instantly, and it will of course recognize Jesus, Son of the Most High God, in us.
 
Our prayer today is that we may grow in faith and love of God to a point where we have the ability to resist evil in all its forms.  We also pray for those who have succumbed to that force and ask that they find the Lord who will wash away all evil.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ Encounters ‘Legion’” by Alexandre Bida, c. 1880s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.74.

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 547-550: Jesus accompanies words with miracles
CCC 447, 438, 550: Jesus’ power over demons
CCC 64, 762, 2595: The role of the prophet
CCC 922, 1618-1620: Virginity for the sake of the kingdom

“Jeremiah Denounces the Priests”
by Max Lieberg, c. 1898

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
 
Moses spoke to all the people, saying:
"A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen.
This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said,
'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,
nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.'
And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin,
and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him.
Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name,
I myself will make him answer for it.
But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,
or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'"
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Commentary on Dt 18:15-20
 
In this passage from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the people presenting an oracle that predicts the coming of another prophet (“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen.”). Moses' own prophetic place was unique, having been established at Mount Horeb. It first launched him on his mission to save Israel from bondage (Exodus 3:1ff); then save them from dying of thirst (Exodus 17), and finally to give them the Law of Moses (Exodus 19).
 
The oracle promises that others will follow Moses.  They will authentically guide the people as God intendeds. The end of the passage contains a warning to any who claim to speak for the Lord falsely. Those who make such false statements will die.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
 
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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Commentary on Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
 
Psalm 95 is a hymn of praise to God recalling his creative hand and omnipresent guidance. The final strophe (v. 7-9) recalls periods of salvation history where the people challenged God and demanded proofs of his continued support. (“Meribah: literally, "contention"; the place where the Israelites quarreled with God. Massah: "testing," the place where they put God to the trial. Cf. Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13.) [5]
 
CCC: Ps 95:1-6 2628; Ps 95:7-8 2659; Ps 95:7 1165; Ps 95:9 2119
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
 
Brothers and sisters:
I should like you to be free of anxieties.
An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord,
how he may please the Lord.
But a married man is anxious about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and he is divided.
An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,
so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.
A married woman, on the other hand,
is anxious about the things of the world,
how she may please her husband.
I am telling you this for your own benefit,
not to impose a restraint upon you,
but for the sake of propriety
and adherence to the Lord without distraction.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 7:32-35
 
In this selection from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians the apostle is attempting to answer questions posed to him by the community. Here he speaks further on marriage. "There is clearly no question of trying to deceive anyone by encouraging him to dedicate himself to a way of life in which he cannot persevere. All St Paul is doing is pointing out that the unmarried person is more available to the service of the Lord." [6] The attitude reflects the apostles' expectation that the Parousia will happen soon. (We see in v. 29, just prior to this reading “I tell you, brothers, the time is running out.”)  The emphasis here is the need of the Christian to focus on things pleasing to God rather than the flesh.
 
CCC: 1 Cor 7:32 1579, 1618; 1 Cor 7:34-36 922; 1 Cor 7:34-35 506
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Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
 
Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
"What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
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Commentary on Mk 1:21-28
 
Jesus is teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. “The account of a single day's ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus' teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes.” [7] First the Lord astonishes the people with the “authority” of his teaching in the tradition of the prophets, as opposed to the scribes, and then proceeds to demonstrate the effectiveness of his authority by casting out an unclean spirit.
 
He encounters an “unclean spirit,” so called because it does not recognize the authority of God. Jesus commands the spirit to leave and it obeys. God in the person of Christ, after all, has authority over all things. In this way we see once more the assurance that Jesus is true God. The exchange between the Lord and this “unclean spirit” is instructive. The spirit attempts to gain mastery over Jesus by using his full name, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The address used by the one possessed, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God,” is an attempt to ward off the power of Jesus, not a profession. Jesus rebukes the spirit and orders it out. The event stirs fear as well as awe in those present.
 
CCC: Mk 1:21 2173; Mk 1:24 438; Mk 1:25 1673; Mk 1:26 1673
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Reflection:
 
The Gospel story gives us a clear picture of Jesus during his healing ministry on earth.  We see in the exchange between the Lord and the “unclean spirit” recognition, if not a profession, that Christ has power over all things.  We recognize that Jesus, the Messiah, is more than what Moses described in his discourse from Deuteronomy. He predicted the great prophets who would follow in his footsteps.  Jesus was not “like Moses.”  His mission was not to act as an intermediary between God and the people, he was God reaching out directly to them.
 
The warning that comes at the end of the passage from Deuteronomy should give us pause for thought.  We are told in other Scripture passages (cf. Matthew 7:15) that there will be people coming who claim to speak in the Lord’s name but, in fact, make that claim falsely.  The likes of Jim Jones and David Koresh who claimed divine guidance but were delusional met the fate promised in Deuteronomy. Unfortunately, they took many innocent people, including women and children duped by them, to their deaths.  There are others, perhaps less sensational from a news standpoint, but more insidious, nonetheless.  They claim some special relationship with God or some special insight that allows them to lead others in places where they should not go.
 
On a much milder note, many of you may have, either singly or in groups, watched the first series of The Chosen. It is a really excellent series, and we recommend it with just a small caution.  The writers of The Chosen have done to some degree what Steven Spielberg did in Jurassic Park. The filmmakers of Jurassic Park and indeed, archeologists could only speculate on what dinosaurs looked like in life, and how they behaved. The writers of The Chosen have similarly taken scriptural truths and place around them a speculative set of circumstances and an environment informed by archeological research and as much fact as is possible to find, but in the end, the context in which Jesus is seen is the author’s speculation and not necessarily scriptural truth.
 
This is one reason the Church is so important.  She gives us guidance from truth passed on from Christ to Peter and his successors.  She is the repository for both the mystical and rational understanding of God’s intent for us.  It is through that age-old wisdom that we are guided to the more intimate relationship with Christ that we seek.
 
Like the old patent medicine salesman of a past age who promised that their product could cure all that ailed you for a mere dollar, the message given by these false teachers that sounds too good to be true certainly is just that – not true!  When we go looking for easy answers, especially when times are hard, we will almost always find a person who will offer us an easier way.  In the final analysis we must remember, Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.”  And his way is not the easy way, but it offers the reward that makes the difficult journey worthwhile.
 
Pax
 
In other years on January 28^th: Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used is “Jeremiah Denounces the Priests” by Max Lieberg, c. 1898.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on Ps. 95:8.
[6] Letters of St. Paul, The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 232.
[7] NAB footnote on Mark 1:21-45.