Monday January 24

Monday of 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

Led By God’s Good Spirit

 

FRANCIS OF SALES

Brilliant, spirited, humorous, and very kind, St. Francis was bishop of Geneva during the Reformation. Both through his eloquence and his personal contact with people, he convinced many not to become Protestants and won many back to Catholicism.

He wanted to lead the simple life of everyone. Wearing ordinary clothes, he mixed with the people in the street, in the café around the corner, in restaurants. In his writings, especially in his Introduction to the Devout Life, he showed how everyone can become a saint in one’s own environment and everyday work. With St. Frances de Chantal he founded the Order of the Visitation.

 

First Reading : 2 Sm 5:1-7, 10

 Before long all the tribes of Israel approached David in Hebron and said, “Look at us—your own flesh and blood! In time past when Saul was our king, you were the one who really ran the country. Even then Godsaid to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel and you’ll be the prince.’”

All the leaders of Israel met with King David at Hebron, and the king made a treaty with them in the presence of God. And so they anointed David king over Israel.

 David was thirty years old when he became king, and ruled for forty years. In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David and his men immediately set out for Jerusalem to take on the Jebusites, who lived in that country. But they said, “You might as well go home! Even the blind and the lame could keep you out. You can’t get in here!” They had convinced themselves that David couldn’t break through.

 But David went right ahead and captured the fortress of Zion, known ever since as the City of David. That day David said, “To get the best of these Jebusites, one must target the water system, not to mention this so-called lame and blind bunch that David hates.” (In fact, he was so sick and tired of it, people coined the expression, “No lame and blind allowed in the palace.”)

David made the fortress city his home and named it “City of David.” He developed the city from the outside terraces inward. David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him.

 

Gospel Mk 3:22-30

The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power. Jesus confronted their slander with a story: “Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan? A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left. Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.

 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.

 

Prayer

Lord our God,
we thank you for St. Francis de Sales,
who showed in his amiability to people
how good you are 
and how close you want to be to us. 
Make us open and gentle with everyone 
the way he was,
uncomplicated and understanding
and devoted to you, our living God.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:
Jesus awaits to set you free, if you let him…

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of the patron saint of journalists and writers – St. Francis de Sales – a 16th century bishop and doctor of the Church. He was a religious celebrity of his time. His concern for the poor reflected in his choice of life of austerity in humility. He was a true shepherd who never expected any special privileges. As the Church celebrates the memorial of this great saint, we pray for the courage and graces for leading a balanced life of study, prayer, virtue, and service.

In today’s gospel, Jesus is demonized by the religious leaders of his day. They accuse him of colluding with the powers of Satan to perform his miracles. Jesus calls them out for their lack of logic, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot survive.”

“The truth is, Satan can cast off Satan,” writes Fr. Paulson a Claretian Missionary and Clinical Psychologist. The evil powers manage to create a feeling that they can annihilate evil, but the truth is, it is a vicious circle, a game of the devil. Fr. Paulson raises a number of questions that touch our daily life situations, to demonstrate, how do we collude with the evil powers to deal with the evil: “Don’t we cast out Satan with Satan when we use violence to heal violence? Think of why we have wars, terrorism, capital punishment, expulsions of members from families….’.

Quoting René Girard, Fr. Paulson reflects that, “the world only knows about peace brought by violence. However, it is to such a world that Christ brings the “finger of God,” the Holy Spirit, who confronts and defeats the evil with the dynamics of inclusive love. Neither the pharisees of the time of Jesus nor we understand well the work of the Holy Spirit. To equate the work of the Holy Spirit to the work of the devil is blasphemous, and denial of God. Taking revenge or keeping grudges against our offender is the game of the devil

What is our reaction to the Gospel today? What message does Jesus is give us today? Is it about blasphemy? Or is Jesus simply trying to free us from the powers of the evil? There are times when we are unable to forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have done! Ask yourself: what do you need to forgive yourself for? Are you willing to let Jesus “set you free?” Jesus is waiting and ready! Have the courage to trust Him enough, to open our minds and hearts to His love, His forgiveness, and His healing.

 

Video available on Youtube: Jesus awaits to set you free, if you let him…