2nd Week in Ordinary Time
18th January 2024 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
In those days: When David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul kept an eye on David from that day on. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10ab, 10c-11, 12-13 (R. 5b)
R/. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Our Saviour Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Mark 3:7-12
At that time: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Ever ready to touch and heal!
Guidlines: Jealousy is the blindness of the heart that closes the eyes to the good a person is or does; often the problem is not the absence of good but the absence of the ability to see the good present
1. Jealousy is a great monster that devours so many. King Saul was no exception to it. He was specially chosen and anointed by God as the king of Israel. But jealousy grips him as David is more praised than him and leads him even to plan to kill David.
2. He feels insulted and gets infuriated when the women singing of David’s victory over the Philistines acclaim, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands”. He conveniently forgets the great risk that David undertook on his behalf. David risked his very life in fighting against Goliath.
3. On the other hand, we find Jonathan, Saul’s son who tries to mitigate and dissolve his father’s evil intention. He symbolizes the opposite and antidote to jealousy and that is benevolence. It is this benevolence that constantly ignites Jesus.
4. Thereby he sets himself on a relentless mission of healing and exorcism. The benevolence of Jesus knew no bounds, no blocks. The persistent opposition of the Pharisees and scribes could in no way discourage or decrease his fervour. Passion for God’s will and compassion for the struggles of others lead him on an unstoppable march of healing and restoration.
5. Today as the followers of Christ, this is the same spirit that we must inherit and this is the same mission that we must carry on. It is the spirit of unconditioned benevolence. And it is the undaunted mission of liberation and integration. We too will confront numberless opposing forces and assaults. But we shall persevere!
Practice: Hostility and problems may always confront us but nothing shall hinder us on our mission of benevolence.
