Monday
of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 323
Lectionary: 323
An
informant came to David with the report,
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.
As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.
As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R.
(8a) Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
Alleluia LK 7:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 5:1-20
Jesus
and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
Meditation: "Tell them how much
the Lord has done for you"
Do
you ever feel driven by forces beyond your strength? A man driven mad by the
evil force of a legion found refuge in the one person who could set him free. A legion is
no small force - but an army more than 5,000 strong! For the people of Palestine,
hemmed in by occupied forces, a legion, whether spiritual or human, struck
terror! Legions at their wildest committed unmentionable atrocities.Our age has
also witnessed untold crimes and mass destruction at the hands of possessed
rulers and their armies.
What
is more remarkable - the destructive force of this driven and possessed man -
or the bended knee at Jesus' feet imploring mercy and release? God's word
reminds us that no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety
which God offers to those who seek his help. A thousand may fall at
your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.
..Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation (Psalm
91:7,9).
Jesus
took pity on the man who was overtaken by a legion of evil spirits. The
destructive force of these demons is evident for all who can see as they flee
and destroy a herd of swine. After Jesus freed the demoniac the whole city came
out to meet him. No one had demonstrated such power and authority against the
forces of Satan as Jesus did. They feared Jesus as a result and begged him to
leave them. Why would they not want Jesus to stay? Perhaps the price for such
liberation from the power of evil and sin was more than they wanted to pay.
Jesus is ready and willing to free us from anything that binds us and that
keeps us from the love of God. Are you willing to part with anything that might
keep you from his love and saving grace?
"Lord
Jesus, unbind me that I may love you wholly and walk in the freedom of your way
of life and holiness. May there be nothing which keeps me from the joy of
living in your presence."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The God-Man beheld, by Gregory of Nazianzus (330
- 390 AD)
"Yes,
he is recognized by demons (Luke 4:33-34, Mark 1:23-24), drives out demons (Matthew
8:16, Mark 1:34), drowns deep a legion of spirits (Matthew 8:32; Mark
5:9,13; Luke 8:30,33) and sees the prince of demons falling like lightning (Luke
10:18). He is stoned, yet not hit (John 8:59; 10:31,39); he prays yet he
hears prayer (Matthew 8:13; Mark 1:35). He weeps (John 11:35), yet he
puts an end to weeping (Luke 7:13; 8:522; 23:28). He asks where Lazarus is (John
11:34) - he was man; yet he raises Lazarus (John 11:43-44) - he
was God." (excerpt from ORATION 29, ON THE SON 20)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, MARK
5:1-20
Weekday
(2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30, 16:5-13; Psalm 3)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30, 16:5-13; Psalm 3)
KEY VERSE: "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you" (v 19).
TO KNOW: Jesus demonstrated the power of his word by calming the stormy sea with a simple command (Mk 4: 35-41). In the expulsion of the "unclean spirit," Jesus again showed the power of his word. In the pagan territory of the Gerasa ("Gadera" in Mt 8:28), Jesus encountered a man who was troubled in body and spirit. The demons showed their power in the superhuman strength of the man they possessed, They recognized Jesus as their enemy, and they tried to overpower him by invoking the divine name. Jesus was more powerful than the demons, and, with a word, he commanded the evil spirits to depart from the man. Jesus then sent the "legions" of demons (a pun on the Roman military) into a herd of swine, which were regarded as unclean by the Jews. The animals threw themselves into the turbulent sea. The people were seized with fear at this display of power, and they begged Jesus to leave the territory. In contrast, the healed man pleaded to be a disciple. Although Jesus usually restrained people from revealing his miraculous cures, he sent the man home to bear witness to his family.
TO LOVE: In this Year of Mercy, how have I given testimony of God's mercy toward me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, remove any evil that has power over my life.
Monday 1 February 2016
Mon 1st. 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13. Lord, rise up
and save me—Ps 3:2-8. Mark 5:1-20.
It can be hard to believe in possession today due to
our medical and psychological knowledge.
Nevertheless many people are bound with unseen chains
and are forced to live among lifeless places, which rob them of dignity and
freedom. Perhaps I recognise areas in my life where I feel chained and
lifeless. Like the demoniac in today’s Gospel do I recognise Jesus as the
source of liberation in my life?
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Acknowledging Christ
|
Eye contact is more than a polite gesture - it is a simple yet
meaningful acknowledgement of Christ in the other.
February
1
St. Ansgar
(801-865)
St. Ansgar
(801-865)
The
“apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a
saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been
educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar
went to that country for three years of missionary work, without noticeable
success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he went there, suffering
capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Fewer than two years
later, he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of
Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions. Funds for the
northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13 years’ work in
Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and
Denmark returned to paganism.
He
directed new apostolic activities in the North, traveling to Denmark and being
instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the strange device of
casting lots, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian missionaries to return.
Ansgar’s
biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble and
ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick, imitating the Lord
in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at
Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr.
Sweden
became pagan again after his death, and remained so until the coming of
missionaries two centuries later.
Story:
One
of his followers was bragging about all the miracles the saint had wrought.
Ansgar rebuked him by saying, "If I were worthy of such a favor from my
God, I would ask that he grant me this one miracle: that by his grace he would
make of me a good man."
Comment:
History records what people do, rather than what they are. Yet the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary. Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines. Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves.
History records what people do, rather than what they are. Yet the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary. Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines. Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves.
Patron
Saint of:
Denmark
Denmark
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 5,1-20
Lectio Divina:
Monday, February 1, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 5, 1-20
They reached the territory of the
Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and when he disembarked, a man with an
unclean spirit at once came out from the tombs towards him. The man lived in
the tombs and no one could secure him any more, even with a chain, because he
had often been secured with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and
broken the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. All night and
all day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself
with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? In God's name do not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit.' Then he asked, 'What is your name?' He answered, 'My name is Legion, for there are many of us.' And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.' So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned.
The men looking after them ran off and told their story in the city and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the man who had had the legion in him -- properly dressed and in his full senses, and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? In God's name do not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit.' Then he asked, 'What is your name?' He answered, 'My name is Legion, for there are many of us.' And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.' So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned.
The men looking after them ran off and told their story in the city and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the man who had had the legion in him -- properly dressed and in his full senses, and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, we meditate on a
long text on the expulsion of a devil which was called Legion and
which oppressed and tortured a person. Today there are many people who use the
texts of the Gospel which speak of the expulsion of the devils or impure
spirits in order to frighten others. This is a sin! Mark does the opposite. As
we will see, he associates the action of power of evil to four things: a) With
the cemetery, the place of the dead. Death which kills life!
b) With the pork which was considered an unclean animal. The
impurity which separates from God! c) With the sea, which was
considered as a symbol of the chaos which existed before creation. Chaos which
destroys nature . d) with the word Legion, a name given to the
army of the Roman Empire. The empire which oppresses and exploits people. Well,
Jesus overcomes the power of evil in these four points. The victory of Jesus
had a very great outreach for the community of the years 70’s, the time in which
Mark wrote his Gospel. These communities lived being persecuted by the Roman
Legions, the ideology of which manipulated the popular beliefs concerning
the devils in order to frighten people and to obtain submission from them.
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates persons. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behaviour of the possessed person, Mark associates the power of evil to the cemetery and to death. It is a power without any purpose, threatening, without control and destructor which makes everybody afraid. It deprives the person of conscience, of self control and of autonomy.
• In the presence of Jesus the power of evil disintegrates itself, and breaks into fragments. In the way of describing the first contact between Jesus and the possessed man, Mark stresses the total lack of proportion that exists! The power which at the beginning seemed to be very strong, melts and is broken, fragmented before Jesus. The man falls on his knees, asks not to be expelled from that district and finally says its name is Legion. With this name, Mark associates the power of evil with the political and military power of the Roman Empire which dominated the world through itsLegions.
• The power of evil is impure and has no autonomy nor consistency. The devil has no power in its movements. He only manages to enter into the pigs with the permission of Jesus! Once he has entered into the pigs, they charged down the cliff into the sea. There were 2000! According to the people the pig was a symbol of impurity, the impurity which prevented the human being to enter into relationship with God and to feel accepted by Him. The sea was the symbol of chaos which existed before creation and which according to the belief of the time, threatened life. This episode of the pigs which threw themselves into the sea is strange and difficult to understand, but the message is sufficiently clear: before Jesus the power of evil has no autonomy nor consistency. The one who believes in Jesus has already overcome the power of evil and should not be afraid, should have no fear!
• The reaction of the people of the place. On the advice of the herdsmen who took care of the pigs, the people of the place ran to see the man who had been liberated from the power of evil, now “in his full senses”. But the Legion entered the pigs! And for this reason they ask Jesus to leave. For them, in fact, the pigs were more important than the human person who had just returned to be himself. The same thing happens today: the neo-liberal system gives very little importance to persons. What is important for it is gain!
• To announce the Good News means to announce “what the Lord has done for you!”. The man who was liberated wanted to “follow Jesus”, but Jesus tells him: “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you”. Mark addressed this phrase of Jesus to the communities and to all of us. For the majority of us “to follow Jesus” means: “Go to your house, to your people, announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates persons. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behaviour of the possessed person, Mark associates the power of evil to the cemetery and to death. It is a power without any purpose, threatening, without control and destructor which makes everybody afraid. It deprives the person of conscience, of self control and of autonomy.
• In the presence of Jesus the power of evil disintegrates itself, and breaks into fragments. In the way of describing the first contact between Jesus and the possessed man, Mark stresses the total lack of proportion that exists! The power which at the beginning seemed to be very strong, melts and is broken, fragmented before Jesus. The man falls on his knees, asks not to be expelled from that district and finally says its name is Legion. With this name, Mark associates the power of evil with the political and military power of the Roman Empire which dominated the world through itsLegions.
• The power of evil is impure and has no autonomy nor consistency. The devil has no power in its movements. He only manages to enter into the pigs with the permission of Jesus! Once he has entered into the pigs, they charged down the cliff into the sea. There were 2000! According to the people the pig was a symbol of impurity, the impurity which prevented the human being to enter into relationship with God and to feel accepted by Him. The sea was the symbol of chaos which existed before creation and which according to the belief of the time, threatened life. This episode of the pigs which threw themselves into the sea is strange and difficult to understand, but the message is sufficiently clear: before Jesus the power of evil has no autonomy nor consistency. The one who believes in Jesus has already overcome the power of evil and should not be afraid, should have no fear!
• The reaction of the people of the place. On the advice of the herdsmen who took care of the pigs, the people of the place ran to see the man who had been liberated from the power of evil, now “in his full senses”. But the Legion entered the pigs! And for this reason they ask Jesus to leave. For them, in fact, the pigs were more important than the human person who had just returned to be himself. The same thing happens today: the neo-liberal system gives very little importance to persons. What is important for it is gain!
• To announce the Good News means to announce “what the Lord has done for you!”. The man who was liberated wanted to “follow Jesus”, but Jesus tells him: “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you”. Mark addressed this phrase of Jesus to the communities and to all of us. For the majority of us “to follow Jesus” means: “Go to your house, to your people, announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
4) Personal questions
• Which point of this text pleased or
struck you the most? Why?
• The man who was cured wanted to follow Jesus. But he should remain at home and tell everybody what Jesus has done for him. What has Jesus done for you which can be told to others?
• The man who was cured wanted to follow Jesus. But he should remain at home and tell everybody what Jesus has done for him. What has Jesus done for you which can be told to others?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, what quantities of good things
you have in store for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see. (Ps 31,19)
you have in store for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see. (Ps 31,19)
