3rd Week in Ordinary Time
22nd January 2024 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10
In those days: All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”— thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Sion, that is, the city of David. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 25-26 (R. 25a)
R/. My mercy and my faithfulness shall be with him.
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 3:22-30
At that time: The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Power that empowers!
Guidelines: The true power lies not in domineering others but in shepherding them, in surrender to the Lord
1. We live in a power-hungry world where power and authority are almost identified with domination and manipulation. In such a context, David in the first reading and Jesus in the gospel, show us what is true power. It comes only from God, from His abiding presence and guidance.
2. Power and authority are meant to shepherd those entrusted to one’s care. True power never sides with evil and never compromises with evil forces. It always combats the evil and surpasses and binds the evil one who is strong.
3. Working for unity and for good in consistency and commitment was the hallmark of all of them. In fact, this is the essential trait of any good and godly person. In contrast, any trace of division and inconsistency in doing good are clearly the clearest signs of the evil one.
4. That is why when the scribes blame Jesus that he was casting out demons with the help of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he challenges them. He contests: “How can Satan cast out Satan… if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand”. Jesus casts out demons not because he is working in cooperation with him but because he is stronger than Satan. He binds Satan, the strong one.
5. Therefore the greater strength of the men of God comes only from the power of God. It is the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything that is good is “spiritual” power and not demoniac. In this sense, it would be really sinful if one does not recognize the action of the Spirit. And in that sense, it is really blasphemy to attribute the divine power to the help of the evil spirit.
6. In this context, we all must be very cautious and judicious lest we also fall into the sin of ‘wrong attribution’ and ‘falsification’ of what is good and godly. Often our self-righteousness, our arrogance, our power-mongering, prejudices, and jealousies lead us into the sin of slander and calumny. This is nothing but a disguised “blasphemy”!
Practice: A power that divides and rules, a power that plunders the belongings of the house and destroys the order and integrity of life, is certainly evil and is the work of the evil spirit.
