The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be prepared to stand against the deep hatred and jealousy that threaten the relationship between all children of God.
In the reading from the First Book of Samuel, Jonathan Intercedes for David.
* [19:4] Jonathan reminds Saul that David has served him loyally and done nothing to earn a traitor’s death. Cf. 24:18–20. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 56 presents trust in God under persecution.
* [Psalm 56] Beset physically (Ps 56:2–3) and psychologically (Ps 56:6–7), the psalmist maintains a firm confidence in God (Ps 56:5, 9–10). Nothing will prevent the psalmist from keeping the vow to give thanks for God’s gift of life (Ps 56:13). A refrain (Ps 56:5, 11–12) divides the Psalm in two equal parts. (Psalms, PSALM 56 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus ministers to a multitude at the lakeside.
* [3:7–19] This overview of the Galilean ministry manifests the power of Jesus to draw people to himself through his teaching and deeds of power. The crowds of Jews from many regions surround Jesus (Mk 3:7–12). This phenomenon prepares the way for creating a new people of Israel. The choice and mission of the Twelve is the prelude (Mk 3:13–19). (Mark, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Joan Blandin Howard reflects that prayer was the gentle, comforting, refreshing presence of Jesus experienced in the chaos of her daily life as a mother of five children.
Today, 30 years later, I still love Jesus being with me as we hang laundry outside, wash dishes and above all sit in solitude and silence in awe of the rising sun, the setting sun, sparkling winter snow, swirling autumn leaves, and above all the laughter of our grandchildren and neighbor children as they play and call to their mothers. (Howard, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “Faith works by love,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The 'faith that works by love' (Galatians 5:6), is not the same faith that demons have. 'For the devils also believe and tremble' (James 2:19) but do they love? If they had not believed, they would not have said: 'You are the holy one of God' or 'You are the Son of God' (Mark 3:11-12; Luke 4:34,41). But if they had loved, they would not have said: 'What have we to do with you?' (Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28)" (excerpt from Letter 194, To Sixtus) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:7-12 comments that Jesus came to do more than heal diseases, and he didn’t come just to give demons a fright. He came to deliver us from slavery to sin and from death itself. He came to establish a relationship with us that will heal our wounded souls and open up the possibility of healing for our bodies as well. These are the truths that Jesus deeply longed for them—and for us—to understand!
Jesus came to overcome the power of sin and death, and he did it not as a distant god but by becoming one of us and dying and rising for us. If he would go through all of that for you, of course he will hear you when you cry out to him!
“Lord Jesus, I’m not ashamed to admit that I need your healing touch!” (Meditation on Mark 3:7-12, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the paranoia that Saul felt concerning David. The spiritual creatures in Mark recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Friar Jude reminds us that the centurion under the Cross expressed his understanding of the love of God in the person of Jesus as Son of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III who speaks about the unique way Black Americans hold the tension between despair and hope.
It’s a strange affair to be Black and live in America, and even stranger to be Black and a person of faith in these yet-to-be-United States, to carry around the burden of a socially constructed idea called race and yet be filled with a divinely inspired mandate to eradicate all limitations to the human soul. Being Black means you are born with a Blues song tattooed on your heart, and at the same time you still have a Gospel shout that is welling up in your soul about to come out.
Another way to say it is that we live with repression and revelation simultaneously swimming in the same tributary of our spirit. There is nothing more confusing to the postmodern personality, to the millennial sojourner, than to have to exist between the strange life of dealing with your Blues and Gospel all the time. Madness and ministry, chaos and Christ. My father heard an elder in Georgia say it this way. When he asked her, “How are you doing, Mother?” she said, “I’m living between Oh Lord and Thank you, Jesus.” (Rohr, 2024)
As we become more aware of living in a world in desperate need of the healing the multitudes sought with Jesus, we implore the help of the Spirit to be a Jonathan like brother to those in existential need.
References
Howard, J. B. (2024, January 18). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011824.html
Mark, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3?7
Meditation on Mark 3:7-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/18/877343/
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/19
Psalms, PSALM 56 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/56?2
Rohr, R. (2024, January 18). The Gospel and the Blues — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-gospel-and-the-blues/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). All Pressed upon Jesus to Touch Him. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan18
No comments:
Post a Comment