Wednesday January  19

Wednesday of 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

 

Doing good on the Lord’s day          

David and Goliath! A boy and a professional military leader. Often in the Bible, the weak are more powerful than the strong. What is weak and small attracts God’s strength. It is not really the underdog who beats the bragging man of violence, but God who makes his greatness known, for he is the God and Savior of his people.

We sometimes reduce our religion to a matter of casuistic laws: Is it permitted to heal on Sundays? When does it become a mortal sin if I am late for Mass? Is it wrong if I do not raise my hands for the Our Father? We sometimes behave like immature kids. God wants us to grow up in our faith. Where is the Good News of Jesus? Where is our love for the Lord and for people?

 

First Reading: 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51

“Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.”

33 Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.”

David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”

Saul said, “Go. And God help you!”

Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.

41-42 As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere boy, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed.

43 The Philistine ridiculed David. “Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?” And he cursed him by his gods.

44 “Come on,” said the Philistine. “I’ll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I’ll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice.”

45-47 David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he’s handing you to us on a platter!”

48-49 That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.

50 That’s how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David!

51 Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant’s sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives.

 

Gospel: Mk 3:1-6

1-3 Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath violation. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand here where we can see you.”

4 Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word.

5-6 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.

 

Prayer

Gracious and holy God,
you have chosen us to be
your kingdom of peace and mature love.
But we have to acknowledge with shame
that there is still much room for growth.
Make our love richer, more sensitive;
Complete the work you have begun in us,
that we may have a permanent place in your heart
and reflect the adult, healing goodness
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

To be the voice of the voiceless

Of all of the sins that plague us, pride may be one of the most common and among the worst. It is so easy – almost reflexive – to lash out against people whom we dislike, without considering the concerns of the other person. It’s hard for us to admit that perhaps we were wrong, or that someone else’s idea is better than mine.

The Pharisees are getting upset because a miracle takes place and it is on the “wrong day.” How sad!! Instead of being in awe and sharing the joy of this man who is no longer plagued with a “withered hand” – the religious leaders are upset for a lame reason: this is done on a Sabbath!

The Pharisees’ reactions were results of sinful pride. They were the self-proclaimed leaders of their time. They couldn’t stomach the popularity and wisdom of a certain Jesus, of humble origins who taught with authority and performed mighty works. Instead of developing a curiosity about the significance of a man who could do such things and appreciating his mighty deeds and teachings, they turn red-faced because their pride is wounded. It’s so easy for us to behave in the same fashion; to ignore the significant signs around and instead, focus on our personal significance and importance.

We live in a time where the Church and its Faith are under scrutiny. The teachings of the Church are often ridiculed and rejected as obsolete and absurdities. The society is more affiliated to what is “politically correct” and refuses to stand for what is morally correct. The silence of the crowd in the Synagogue angered Jesus. They refused to take a stand on whether it was right or wrong to save life on the sabbath. Instead, they joined hands with the Herodians, to destroy Jesus. What happens in the society today is no different from what happened to Jesus. The Gospel today invites us to look around, to see where the weak are rejected, their voice is suppressed, and their lives are destroyed. The gospel challenges us to protect lives and be the voice of the voiceless.

We are in the week of prayer for Christian Unity. Theme for today’s prayer is, “Humble leadership breaks down walls and builds up with love.”

we often covet worldly models of leadership. Today we pray for all the churches that the Holy Spirit may help us to seek our Lord Jesus Christ not in the palaces of the powerful but among the poor, the weak and the helpless and to emulate the meekness of Jesus in our lives. Let us desire to empty ourselves as we serve each other in obedience to Jesus.

 

Video available on Youtube: To be the voice of the voiceless