Friday of 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

THOMAS AQUINAS, Church doctor

 

Introduction

We honor today St. Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the greatest theologians in the Church’s history, yet his life was marked by simplicity. He succeeded in making a harmonious synthesis between the philosophy of Aristotle and the theological thought of the Bible and of St. Augustine. Prayer and contemplation were the sources of his theology. In his time he was considered by many a dangerous innovator and suffered much contradiction. Let us ask today for his understanding of the faith, his wisdom and his spirit of prayer.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we thank you for St. Thomas,
a great saint and a wise thinker.
Grant us the wisdom
to reflect on the word of the good news,
that it may deepen our insight in our faith
and make our love for you grow.
Give also to the Church of our time
great prophets and theologians
who make us see what the faith means
to the people of our day.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

1st Reading: 2 S 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17

The following year, when kings usually set out to fight, David sent out Joab, his officers and all the Israelite troops. They slaughtered the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem. One afternoon, David got up from his siesta and took a walk on the roof of the royal house. From the rooftop, he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. David sent to inquire about the woman, and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to have her brought to him; and he had intercourse with her just after she had purified herself after her monthly period. Then she returned to her house. As the woman saw she was with child, she sent word to David, “I am with child.” David then sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came, David asked him about Joab, how the people were and how the war was proceeding. Then he told Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah left the palace while the king had a portion from his table sent to him. Uriah, however, did not go down to his house but slept by the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord. David was told that Uriah did not go down to his house, and he said to him, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” David invited him to table and he ate and drank until he was drunk. When evening fell, however, he went to lie down on his couch with the guards of his lord instead of going down to his house. The next morning, David wrote Joab a letter to be taken by hand by Uriah, in which he said, “Place Uriah in the front row where the fighting is very fierce and then withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.” When Joab was attacking the city, he assigned Uriah to a place which he knew was being defended by strong warriors. And the defenders attacked the men of Joab. Some of David’s soldiers and officers were killed; Uriah the Hittite also died.

 

Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6b-7, 10-11

Ne merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

Ne merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;

Ne merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Ne merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

Ne merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

 

Verse before the Gospel: Mt 11:25

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom

 

Gospel: Mk 4:26-34

Jesus also said, “In the kingdom of God it is like this. A man scatters seed upon the soil. Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The soil produces of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when it is ripe for harvesting they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for harvest has come.”

Jesus also said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the gar­den and even grows branches so big that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.”

Jesus used many such stories or parables, to proclaim the word to them in a way they would be able to understand. He would not teach them with­out parables; but privately to his disciples he explained every­thing.

 

Intercessions

–          That the tiny spark of faith still alive in the hearts of many who abandon the Church may not be extinguished, but grow again onto a bright light renewing their life, we pray:

–          That our schools may implant into the hearts of our youth the seeds of faith, of generous and serving love, and that the Lord may bless the educators in their tremendous task, we pray:

–          That missionaries may keep sowing the seed of the joyful Good News of the Lord in our often indifferent and hostile world, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you give taste to our lives
through the bread and wine of your Son,
for they steep us in his love and faithfulness.
Do not allow us to lose our savor
but to be people who try to preserve in this world
the goodness and dedicated love
which you have shown us in your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

God, our Father,
thank you for letting us share
in the life of your Son.
Do not let us hide our faith
but make it shine in each of us
and in all our communities
as a bright light shining on all.
Let it not be us
but the love and the goodness of your Son
that brightens our world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

Blessing

Patience and a sense of humble modesty are needed when we do God’s work. He sows, he plants, and he gives growth. He will do the harvesting. But he expects us to cooperate with him. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary: 

Lest We Fall

Sin does not happen overnight; it creeps in incrementally into our spiritual entrails through the little openings we leave unguarded. David’s twin-sins did not happen overnight. He let them in gradually, by compromising commitment to duty. When his armies were fighting battle, instead of being bravely present with them, he remained in his cosy palace. While his soldiers were dying, he was enjoying his afternoon siesta, followed by a leisurely walk. While his men would not even dream of spousal bed, David’s eyes were already committing adultery with a woman… No wonder his fall was so terrible! We may not and need not know the mysteries of the Kingdom and its growth within us—that is God’s work. But the least we can and must do is to keep the land fertile and well-guarded from inimical forces, so that the Kingdom can sprout and produce a good harvest.  

 

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF