Da Jesus surprises

Psalm 144 in the texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today praises God as the rescuer of his servant David. The context of the psalm is a deliverance from enemies in battle. The passage from the first Book of Samuel tells of the battle between the giant of the Philistines, Goliath and the shepherd boy of the Israelites, David. The role of Divine Providence in this battle may be slightly different than we assume. The decision of David to engage Goliath, who was armed as heavy infantry, with the deadly accurate weapon of the Middle East ‘slinger’ is described by MalcolmGladwell as a strategic advantage for David especially considering that Goliath exhibited some symptoms of a medical condition which made him slow to react and likely caused double vision. There are more surprises associated with the Gospel today including the choice of Pope Francis to reflect on this episode from the Gospel of Mark as translated by the Da Jesus Book, which is a Hawaiian version of the New Testament written in Hawaiian Pidgin. Friar Jude Winkler comments on how the observance of the Sabbath for Christians, in the light of Jesus example in the Gospel, is to love through service. Our very busy work weeks point to Sunday as a time to be of service to those who will benefit from our presence and kindness to bring them restoration now. Our tendency to procrastinate for a better or more acceptable time is brought to question by Jesus, Who would have likely avoided the controversy if He decided to quietly help the man with the withered hand. Friar Jude declared that Jesus would not wait any longer to restore the man to health. Our need to seek Divine Providence in how we act to protect unborn children is emphasized by Jeanne Schuler from Creighton University as she cites Annie Dillard, an English journalist, observing the Sisters of Charity in Calcutta who perceived that the sisters had decided that in all circumstances life is sacred.  The sanctity of life stands as a truth which challenges us to act without waiting any longer to restore health to a society which treats termination of life as a personal choice, a military collateral damage, a judicial necessity, a social economic consequence and a release from burden for the elderly. The shepherd boy moves with God to reveal great strength. Pope Francis in his apostolic letter on the Joy of the Gospel encourages the learned to seek the Gospel lived by the poor and marginalized. The victory of truth is guided by God.