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.
AlleluiaLK 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 in the time of Jesus'
ministry, 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.
Jesus has power to free us from every evil spirit of
oppression
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).
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, JANUARY 29, 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 by 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: Have I witnessed to my family of God's mercy toward me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, remove any evil that has power over my life.
Monday 29
January 2018
St Gildas.
2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13. Psalm 3:2-8. Mark 5:1-20.
Lord, rise up and save me—Psalm 3:2-8.
Lord, rise up and save me.
The psalm that links today’s two readings proclaims a trust in
God that doesn’t waver even though ‘thousands of people are ranged on every
side against me’.
Constantly we are told we only have to ask and God will hear us.
Having trust requires being in relationship. Being in a healthy relationship
means neither party is passive.
Being in a trusting relationship means that we sometimes accept
the answers we get simply because we trust the other.
God knows us intimately, more intimately than we know ourselves.
This means our trust in God should be like the trust little
children have in their parents, that when they call out at night in their fear,
they know their parents will be there, not necessarily changing anything, but
just that they are there.
God is ever present and ever inviting. And, like little
children, we only to have cry aloud and God, our loving creator, is there.
Servant of God Brother Juniper
Saint of the Day for January 29
(d. 1258)
Servant of God Brother Juniper’s Story
“Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such
Junipers,” said Francis of this holy friar.
We don’t know much about Juniper before he joined the friars in
1210. Francis sent him to establish “places” for the friars in Gualdo Tadino
and Viterbo. When Saint Clare was dying, Juniper consoled her. He was
devoted to the passion of Jesus and was known for his simplicity.
Several stories about Juniper in the Little Flowers of
St. Francis illustrate his exasperating generosity. Once Juniper was
taking care of a sick man who had a craving to eat pig’s feet. This helpful
friar went to a nearby field, captured a pig and cut off one foot, and then
served this meal to the sick man. The owner of the pig was furious and
immediately went to Juniper’s superior. When Juniper saw his mistake, he
apologized profusely. He also ended up talking this angry man into donating the
rest of the pig to the friars!
Another time Juniper had been commanded to quit giving part of
his clothing to the half-naked people he met on the road. Desiring to obey his
superior, Juniper once told a man in need that he couldn’t give the man his
tunic, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from taking it either. In time, the
friars learned not to leave anything lying around, for Juniper would probably give
it away.
He died in 1258 and is buried at Ara Coeli Church in Rome.
Reflection
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first
of many Franciscan “characters.” No doubt some of the stories about him have
improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may
seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the
truth about God, himself, and others. He was patient because he was willing to
suffer in his following of Jesus.
LECTIO
DIVINA: MARK 5,1-20
Lectio Divina:
Monday, January 29, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 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.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, we meditate on a
long text on the expulsion of a devil which was called Legion 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 a symbol of the chaos which existed before creation, and a chaos
which destroys nature . d) With the word Legion, a name given
to the army of the Roman Empire - the empire which oppressed and exploited
people. 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 under persecution by
the Roman Legions, with an ideology which manipulated the popular
beliefs concerning the devils in order to frighten people and to obtain their
submission.
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates people. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behavior 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 destructive, 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 his description of 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. It is 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 its Legions.
• The power of evil is impure and has neither 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 had 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 from entering into relationship with God and from feeling 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 local people. 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 had 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 his normal self. Those pigs also had a large economic value to the local people. The same thing happens today: we often give very little importance to people. It frightens people to be given the choice to give up wealth for the peace of Christ.
• 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, and announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates people. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behavior 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 destructive, 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 his description of 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. It is 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 its Legions.
• The power of evil is impure and has neither 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 had 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 from entering into relationship with God and from feeling 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 local people. 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 had 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 his normal self. Those pigs also had a large economic value to the local people. The same thing happens today: we often give very little importance to people. It frightens people to be given the choice to give up wealth for the peace of Christ.
• 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, and 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? Do you want to share this with 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? Do you want to share this with 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)
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