20180122 REALIZING UNITY IN HIS TIME AND BY HIS STRENGTH
22 JANUARY, 2018, Monday, 3rd Week, O Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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2 Samuel 5:1-7,10 ©
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All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron. ‘Look’ they
said ‘we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it
was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, “You
are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader
of Israel.”’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King
David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they
anointed David king of Israel.
David was
thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. He
reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven years and six months; then he reigned in
Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
David and
his men marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites living there. These said to
David, ‘You will not get in here. The blind and the lame will hold you off.’
(That is to say: David will never get in here.) But David captured the fortress
of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David.
David grew
greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 88(89):20-22,25-26 ©
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My truth and my love shall be with him.
Of old you spoke in a vision.
To your friends the prophets you said:
‘I have set the crown on a warrior,
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
I have found David my servant
and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him
and my arm shall make him strong.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
My truth and my love shall be with him;
by my name his might shall be exalted.
I will stretch out his hand to the Sea
and his right hand as far as the River.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps24:4,5
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Teach me your paths, my God,
make me walk in your truth.
Alleluia!
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Or
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cf.2Tim1:10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Mark 3:22-30 ©
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The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying,
‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts
devils out.’ So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can
Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can
never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he
cannot stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into
a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong
man first. Only then can he burgle his house.
‘I tell you
solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let
anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he
is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean
spirit is in him.’
rdinary Time
REALIZING UNITY IN HIS TIME AND BY HIS STRENGTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 2 SM 5:1-7, 10; MK 3:22-30 ]
Building
unity is crucial not just for our mission, but it is the foundation for peace,
happiness and progress in every organization, society, religion and nation. This is what the Lord
said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last.
And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never
stand.” The beginning of the fall of a nation or any organization is disunity.
When the country is fragmented, when religious leaders are fighting among
themselves, when society is divided, the peoples cannot work together for the
growth of the organization.
Preserving
and fostering unity is a very daunting task, especially in this modern world. In the olden days,
leaders could use their juridical authority and power to unite the
people. But today, no one listens to authority unless authority agrees
with him or her. In a world of relativism and individualism, with diverse
opinions on every issue, it is very challenging to get everyone on board.
There will be strong dissenters who want to have things their way. Still,
in the business and corporate world, they can hire and fire. Not so in
the Church, because compassion and patience are very important virtues that
leaders must exercise or else he loses credibility in leading his flock.
That is why religious leaders often appear to be weak and inept because they
fail to discipline or enforce the rules on dissenting individuals and
groups. But if they do, then they are condemned for lacking
compassion. Either way, the leader will be penalized. A
leader pleases no one.
Indeed, this
is the strategy of Satan to destroy the world. His task is to sow doubt
and create confusion. This was what he did when Jesus was accused of casting out devils
in the name of Beelzebul. By sowing doubt, people will lose confidence in
authority. Today, we see lots of fake news being passed around in social
media. The Devil is the father of lies. Jesus said, “He was a
murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44)
He is doing this today by promoting relativism and individualism.
He is confusing people on their own sexual identity, the meaning of marriage
and family. He is the one who tempts people to pornography, promiscuity,
infidelity and causes marriages and beautiful relationships to break up.
This explains
why St John Paul II underscored the importance of communion in mission and
mission in communion. “Communion with Jesus, which gives rise to the communion of
Christians among themselves, is the indispensable condition for bearing fruit;
and communion with others, which is the gift of Christ and his Spirit, is the
most magnificent fruit that the branches can give. In this sense,
communion and mission are inseparably connected. They interpenetrate and
mutually imply each other, so that ‘communion represents both the source and
fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished
in communion’.” (Ecclesia In Asia, No 24)
How, then,
can we cultivate this spirituality of communion? First and foremost, we
need to be in communion with the Lord. “Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.
He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart
from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:4f)
Without communion with the Lord, we will not have the capacity to love our
brothers and sisters, and the patience to listen to them and their
struggles. Indeed, to fight against the Evil One, we need a strong man to
help us. “But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and
burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then
can he burgle his house.” St Paul writes, “Finally, be strong in
the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (cf Eph 6:10-12)
What does this armour of God consist of? Truth, righteousness, peace,
faith, Word of God and prayers. (cf Eph 6:13-18)
The
spirituality of communion must include dialogue in the search for truth. Dialogue is an
important principle in bringing divergent parties together, even if it is a
very trying exercise. Often in dialogue, we might never agree on
everything. Still, we need to persevere and never give up hope.
Again, St John Paul II wrote, “As the sacrament of the unity of all mankind,
the Church cannot but enter into dialogue with all peoples, in every time and
place. Her efforts to engage in dialogue are directed in the first place
to those who share her belief in Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour. It extends
beyond the Christian world to the followers of every other religious tradition,
on the basis of the religious yearnings found in every human heart. Ecumenical
dialogue and interreligious dialogue constitute a veritable vocation for the
Church.” (Ecclesia In Asia, No 29)
King David is
a good example of one who ruled his kingdom based on the principles of
communion and dialogue. He sought to unite Israel but he did not take things into
his own hands. He did not become King of Judah until he was 30
years old. When he was anointed king over all Israel, he was then 37
years old. It was the third time that he was anointed. Earlier on,
he was secretly anointed King by Samuel when he was still a young boy. (1 Sm 16:13).
Then he was made king of Judah after Saul’s death. (2 Sm 2:4)
It took many years before the promise of the Lord was fulfilled in him. All
these years, David waited patiently for the Lord to fulfill His promise.
He was not in a hurry to take the crown from Saul or from anyone.
He took the waiting period as an opportunity for him to strengthen his
character and his army.
Firstly, he
knew and trusted in the Lord. He clung on to the promise of God. “Of old you spoke
in a vision. To your friends the prophets you said: ‘I have set the crown
on a warrior, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have
found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him. My hand shall always
be with him and my arm shall make him strong.” Indeed, “He grew greater
and greater, and the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” He knew that
it was the Lord who established him as king; not by his own strength. He
was aware that his greatness came from God. That was why throughout his
life as king, he kept a close relationship with the Lord. He put God
first in his life. He served the people according to the covenant laid
down by the Lord. His stronghold was not the army or his strength but in
the power of God. Unlike the pagan armies who relied on conquest,
power, armies and wealth to be successful, David relied completely on the Lord
of Hosts.
Secondly, he
won over the hearts of the people, especially of Israel, by his genuine love
for them.
When Saul died, David lamented for him. He did not take the life of
Saul but his enemies did. Even after his death, he did not forcefully
take the throne from Saul. He allowed Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth to take
over the throne since he was next in line to succeed Saul. But
Ish-Bosheth was too weak a king. He relied on Abner, his military
commander. When Abner was murdered by Joab, David’s military commander,
he was upset. He made it clear that he had nothing to do with the killing
of an innocent life. In fact, he grieved over the loss of an outstanding
military warrior. To show that Abner’s killing was not his plot, he
walked behind the bier as a symbol of him leading the mourning. He even
ordered Joab to mourn with the rest as well. Then Ish-Bosheth was
murdered by his own men in the end. Again to show his innocence, David
had the assasins killed. He accorded both Abner and Ish-Bosheth a proper
burial. By his devotion to Saul and graciousness towards Saul’s tribes,
he showed his sincerity. Through such actions he eventually won their
trust. All the tribes, recognizing that they needed a strong leader to
fight against the Philistines, pledged their loyalty to David.
We too must
work at communion, relying on the Lord and not just our strength. There will be
times when our plans are wrecked by wicked and divisive people. But like
David, we must remain firm and trust in the Lord. We must abide by God’s
time. He knows when to unfold His plans for us. In the meantime, we
need to work with all our strength, relying on His grace and wisdom to forge
greater unity among ourselves and those under our charge. It will not be
easy but with patience, we will overcome the obstacles to peace and
unity. There is no other road except through dialogue and genuine love in
order to bring unity and peace.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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