Thursday January 20  

Thursday of 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

 

Jesus Christ, Mediator, Healer

David’s victory over Goliath and the praise that the people give him become for Saul the reason to become very jealous of David. Saul’s son Jonathan, a close friend of David, pleads for him and can temporarily refrain Saul from harming David.

In the Gospel, Mark gives a summary of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Yesterday, we heard how the Pharisees are blind to him and attack him on legal points; the crowds flock to him because of his healing power, not so much to be converted. The demons know who Jesus is, but, of course, they do not believe in him. Here, we have different attitudes, but no faith yet. This is why, perhaps, Mark imposes silence on the spirits. We offer this Eucharist together with Christ, our only Savior and Mediator, who always intercedes for us.

 

First Reading: 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7

As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. In playful frolic the women sang,

Saul kills by the thousand,
David by the ten thousand!

This made Saul angry—very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, “They credit David with ‘ten thousands’ and me with only ‘thousands.’ Before you know it they’ll be giving him the kingdom!” From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David.

 Saul called his son Jonathan together with his servants and ordered them to kill David. But because Jonathan treasured David, he went and warned him: “My father is looking for a way to kill you. Here’s what you are to do. Tomorrow morning, hide and stay hidden. I’ll go out with my father into the field where you are hiding. I’ll talk about you with my father and we’ll see what he says. Then I’ll report back to you.”

Jonathan brought up David with his father, speaking well of him. “Please,” he said to his father, “don’t attack David. He hasn’t wronged you, has he? And just look at all the good he has done! He put his life on the line when he killed the Philistine. What a great victory God gave Israel that day! You were there. You saw it and were on your feet applauding with everyone else. So why would you even think of sinning against an innocent person, killing David for no reason whatever?”

Saul listened to Jonathan and said, “You’re right. As God lives, David lives. He will not be killed.”

 Jonathan sent for David and reported to him everything that was said. Then he brought David back to Saul and everything was as it was before.

 

Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them—also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon—swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves. He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn’t be trampled by the crowd. He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him.

Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public.

 

Prayer

God, our Father,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
you brought healing to your people
and came to bind us to you
in a lasting covenant of love.
May we not only admire his saving power
but accept him in faith as our brother,
your Son, our Lord and Savior.
Make him the ground and meaning of our lives
and fill us with his Holy Spirit,
that we may build up among us
your kingdom and a community
of faith, hope and love.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Heal the world with courage

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Sebastian a Roman martyr of the 3rd Century. He is venerated as a protector from epidemics and as a patron of plague victims. Let us invoke the powerful intercession of St. Sebastian for deliverance from this pandemic and healing of all those who are suffering due to Covid-19 and its numerous variants.

We have learned a thing or two about sacrifice this past year. 5.5 million people have lost their lives in the past two years due to the pandemic. Our faith, patience and trust certainly have been challenged and tested with the loss of jobs, financial struggles and living with the trauma, while having restrictions on access to liturgy and sacraments. The Church, that is we, have a big role to play in this time of illness and fear. We have a mission to bring healing to the wounded humanity.

People from all corners of the region flocked to the shores of Galilee to touch Jesus and be healed by him. Healing remained a major part of the mission of the Jesus and he demanded the same from his followers. We are asked to heal the sick, to care for the brothers and sisters in need.

The devil knows the identity of Jesus more than anyone else. “You are the Son of God.” Does it not sound strange that this recognition of his identity does not come from his chosen disciples, but from the possessed people. Mark gives an important lesson to his readers through the response of Jesus. He shuts them up. Jesus refuses to take such accolades from the evil forces. Devil is deceptive. But Jesus refuses to entertain any such a conversation.

Who doesn’t love to be appreciated and acknowledged by the public of their achievements and merits? But when we work for establishing God’s Kingdom, all glory belongs to God and not to us. Our services in our Church communities becomes meaningful only when we stop running behind honours and accolades. Let us not be tricked by the devil to search for our personal glory.

We are commissioned to radiate the healing and love of Jesus for others through our witness of life. We should be inspired by people like Saint Sebastian, and numerous saints of the past; and more importantly, hundreds of thousands of people who risk their own lives to be at the service of their brothers and sisters. My prayer on this day is that the heroic examples of the saints inspire me to live out my convictions with courage.

 

Video available on Youtube: Heal the world with courage