WEAKNESS OR MAGNANIMITY

20220131 WEAKNESS OR MAGNANIMITY

 

 

31 January, 2022, Monday, Week 4 in Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Samuel 15:13-14,30,16:5-13 ©

David flees Absalom and is cursed by Shimei

A messenger came to tell David, ‘The hearts of the men of Israel are now with Absalom.’ So David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘Let us be off, let us fly, or we shall never escape from Absalom. Leave as quickly as you can in case he mounts a surprise attack and worsts us and puts the city to the sword.’

  David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feet bare. And all the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.

  As David was reaching Bahurim, out came a man of the same clan as Saul’s family. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he came he uttered curse after curse and threw stones at David and at all King David’s officers, though the whole army and all the champions flanked the king right and left. The words of his curse were these, ‘Be off, be off, man of blood, scoundrel! the Lord has brought on you all the blood of the House of Saul whose sovereignty you have usurped; and the Lord has transferred that same sovereignty to Absalom your son. Now your doom has overtaken you, man of blood that you are.’ Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, ‘Is this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut his head off.’ But the king replied, ‘What business is it of mine and yours, sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse. If the Lord said to him, “Curse David,” what right has anyone to say, “Why have you done this?”’ David said to Abishai and all his officers, ‘Why, my own son, sprung from my body, is now seeking my life; so now how much the more this Benjaminite? Let him curse on if the Lord has told him to. Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and repay me with good for his curse today.’ So David and his men went on their way.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 3:2-8 ©

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

How many are my foes, O Lord!

  How many are rising up against me!

How many are saying about me:

  ‘There is no help for him in God.’

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

But you, Lord, are a shield about me,

  my glory, who lift up my head.

I cry aloud to the Lord.

  He answers from his holy mountain.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

I lie down to rest and I sleep.

  I wake, for the Lord upholds me.

I will not fear even thousands of people

  who are ranged on every side against me.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

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Gospel Acclamation

Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk7:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

A great prophet has appeared among us;

God has visited his people.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Mark 5:1-20 ©

The Gadarene swine

Jesus and his disciples reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had Jesus left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit 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? Swear by God you will not torture me!’ – for Jesus had been saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’ ‘What is your name?’ Jesus asked. ‘My name is legion,’ he answered ‘for there are many of us.’ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district. 

  Now there was there on the mountainside 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 swineherds ran off and told their story in the town 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, clothed and in his full senses – the very man who had had the legion in him before – 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 the 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 spread throughout the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

 

WEAKNESS OR MAGNANIMITY

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; Ps 3:2-8; Mk 5:1-20]

In todays’ first reading, King David was suffering the consequences of his past sins which affected his children.   Absalom had turned against his father by seeking to overthrow him.  He started a rebellion.  Where did he get such courage?  Perhaps he saw his father’s weakness in dealing with members of his own family.  His sister, Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon but David took no action against him.  Understandably, Absalom was angry and vindictive.  He revenged her by killing Amnon.  Again, David did nothing, which could have fuelled his impression that his father was weak when it came to dealing with his own family members.  True enough, David meekly left the city to spare the residents from bloodshed, and even then, David would not have had the courage to kill his own son.  “David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feet bare.  And all the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.”

Then as they were going down the slope, another incident once again brought out the weakness of David.  A man from the clan of Saul’s family, Shimei “uttered curse after curse and threw stones at David and at all King David’s officers, though the whole army and all the champions flanked the king right and left.  The words of his curse were these, ‘Be off, be off, man of blood, scoundrel!”  We can appreciate again his resentment against David for allowing their enemies to take revenge on Saul by slaying the members of Saul’s family.  (2 Sm 21:1-10) Hence, Shimei called David, a man of blood.  Against such insults, David’s officer, Abishai said, “Is this dead dog to curse my lord the king?  Let me go over and cut off his head.”  But the king replied, “What business is it of mine and yours?  Let him curse.  If the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ what right has anyone to say, ‘Why have you done this?'”

However, this is just one perspective of looking at the actions of King David.  Perhaps we could also view his weakness as a virtue because it also demonstrates his compassion and humility.  We can be sure, he loved all his children.  When they hurt each other, he must have grieved over them.  Perhaps, this explains his inaction when Tamar was raped by Amnon.  So too when Absalom took revenge by killing Amnon.  And even when Absalom rebelled, not only did he escape to avoid bloodshed in Jerusalem but most likely, he did not want to fight with his son.  He would rather take refuge than have a battle with him, causing more suffering and death to all.   After all, it was fundamentally a family quarrel, rather than political.  So on one hand, he could be faulted for being weak, but yet he was strong in love and compassion.

This same attitude could also be viewed with regards to the insult hurled at him by Shimei and the accusations brought against him.  That he did not react perhaps could be an afterthought and guilt he bore for cooperating with the Gibeonites by handing over the seven sons of Saul to appease their anger against Saul and the kingdom of Israel.  (2 Samuel 21.1-10) Or could it be because David was magnanimous? Instead of taking revenge, he surrendered justice and his life to God.   David said to Abishai and all his officers, “Why, my own son, sprung from my body, is now seeking my life; so now how much the more this Benjaminite?  Let him curse on if the Lord has told him to.  Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and repay me with good for his curse today.”  Once again, some will judge him to be weak and a coward for not responding firmly to the insults of Shimei, whilst others will judge the non-retaliation of David positively as a virtuous act in accordance with the gospel, when our Lord told us to forgive our enemies and not to take revenge.   David was a magnanimous man in spite of his moral weakness.   He was humble to acknowledge his own faults and sinfulness.  He was ready to suffer the consequences of his mistakes.  Hence, he accepted the humiliations positively as permitted by God.  In faith, he accepted whatever came from Him.

In the gospel, we have another incident of weakness and compassion.   “Jesus and his disciples reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had he left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs towards him.  The man lived in the tombs and no one could secure him anymore, 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.”  Indeed, he was so strong that no one could overpower him.  He was not even afraid of death because “among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones.”

The manner in which Jesus dealt with this case is also puzzling.  Firstly, we are told that the unclean spirit would not come out of the man even when the Lord commanded him.  This is something that has never happened before. In all the other cases, with one command, the evil spirit would leave the person.  How is it that Jesus appeared to lack the power and authority to order the unclean spirit to leave the man? 

Secondly, we are told that Jesus asked for the name of the unclean spirit.  “Jesus had been saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’  What is your name?’ Jesus asked.  ‘My name is legion,’ he answered ‘for there are many of us.'”  Indeed, this spirit must be very powerful to command so many spirits under him, between four to six thousand.   

Thirdly, it is not normal for the unclean spirit to negotiate with Jesus to spare them.   It said, “Swear by God you will not torture me! On the mountainside a great herd of pigs were feeding and the unclean spirit 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.”  Why would Jesus do such a thing?   He caused the death of 2000 pigs and set the unclean spirits free to find another place to dwell in.  Was it out of compassion that Jesus granted the request, or was it a strategy to bring out the power of evil and then ultimately to cast them out?

What was the reaction of the inhabitants when they saw this incident?  “They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his full senses – the very man who had had the legion in him before – 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 the neighbourhood.”  They were terrified not so much that the unclean spirit was very powerful but because Jesus had set the unclean spirits free, they could no longer locate the evil force and avoid it.  With the death of the pigs, not only it was a huge economic loss but the danger was out of control.  The conclusion was that Jesus was a liability.  Their lives were no longer safe if Jesus was with them.

The other way to overcome their fear and weakness is of course faith.  If only they had faith in Jesus, they would not have had to contend with the power of evil lurking in their midst any longer.  If they had faith, they would have valued the dignity and freedom of the possessed man more than the pigs.  In this case, his life was regarded as less than the price of 2000 pigs.  Do we put a price on human life?  But this is how the world regards their fellowmen.  To protect their own security and self-interests, they are ready to kill, even innocent people, and not just their enemies, as we see in the wars being fought.  But Jesus regarded every human person as important and significant.  At all costs, He would set them free.  Faith in Him is the key to being set free from fear that inhibits us from acting graciously with compassion even when dealing with our enemies.  Only the man set free had the courage and freedom to proclaim Jesus.

Perhaps, from this story, King David is vindicated after all.  Sometimes, meekness is perceived by the world as weakness.  Actually, it requires great strength not to retaliate and take revenge.  If we can use persuasion and kindness to change people to do the right thing, it would be ideal.  But using force, might and power may not always be the best way to deal with our enemies.  Hence, for a leader to remain calm, focused and strong in spite of the temptation to retaliate against those who hurt us, requires much faith in God, and much compassion for those who are weak.  Through love and compassion, we seek to win them over.

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Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

FIDELITY TO OUR CALLING TO BE PROPHETS OF LOVE

20220130 FIDELITY TO OUR CALLING TO BE PROPHETS OF LOVE

 

 

30 January, 2022, Sunday, Week 4 in Ordinary Time

First reading

Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19 ©

'I have appointed you prophet to the nations'

In the days of Josiah, the word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

before you came to birth I consecrated you;

I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.

‘So now brace yourself for action.

Stand up and tell them

all I command you.

Do not be dismayed at their presence,

or in their presence I will make you dismayed.

‘I, for my part, today will make you

into a fortified city,

a pillar of iron,

and a wall of bronze

to confront all this land:

the kings of Judah, its princes,

its priests and the country people.

They will fight against you

but shall not overcome you,

for I am with you to deliver you –

it is the Lord who speaks.’

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17 ©

My lips will tell of your help.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

  let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, free me:

  pay heed to me and save me.

My lips will tell of your help.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,

  a mighty stronghold to save me;

  for you are my rock, my stronghold.

Free me from the hand of the wicked.

My lips will tell of your help.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

  my trust, O Lord, since my youth.

On you I have leaned from my birth,

  from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your help.

My lips will tell of your justice

  and day by day of your help.

O God, you have taught me from my youth

  and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

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Second reading

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 ©

The supremacy of charity

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.

  If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

  Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

  Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.

  In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

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Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Luke 4:21-30 ©

No prophet is ever accepted in his own country

Jesus began to speak in the synagogue: ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

  But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’

  And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

  ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

  When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

 

FIDELITY TO OUR CALLING TO BE PROPHETS OF LOVE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 1:4-5,17-19; 1 COR 12:31-13:13; LUKE 4:21-30]

When God calls someone to be a prophet, it is to proclaim the Word of God, to direct His people, guide them to walk the path of truth, justice and love.   At times, it comes with warning of disasters if they do not repent and take heed of the call to live a life of integrity.  That is why, prophets are seldom welcomed by those in power or those who have vested interests, just like the political and religious leaders of Israel. They were not ready to listen to the prophecy of Jeremiah spelling doom and disaster for the country.  Instead of taking his warnings seriously, they accused him of treason for speaking against the King and the Temple.

Jesus also met with the same reception in today’s gospel.  He came to His own townsfolk.  After reading the text from Isaiah on the work of the Suffering Servant in reaching out to the poor, the blind and those in captives, He concluded by declaring, “This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.”  In that moment, “he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.”  Indeed, this was good news.  Certainly, the text from Isaiah brought hope to the people, especially those who were suffering.  Jesus gave them hope that it would be realized in their time.

Unfortunately, the incredibly Good News that Jesus came to bring was soon rejected when they began to doubt His credentials.  They said, “This is Joseph’s son, surely?”  In Mark’s gospel, the evangelist was even more explicit.  “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” (Mk 6:2f) St Mark even noted, “They took offense at him.”  Indeed, it is difficult for us to accept a prophet from our own country as the Lord remarked.  Such prophets are not welcome because they know the truth too well, unlike the prophets from abroad who are often not in touch with the ground situation.  This explains why Jeremiah and Jesus were not welcomed prophets.  The people challenged their credentials and their authority.   They were always prejudiced against them.

Secondly, prophets were rejected because the prophets did not say what the people liked to hear.  Jeremiah was predicting the fall of the country to the Babylonians.  Jesus reminded the Jews that the Good News for the poor was not confined to the Jews as the Chosen people only but also for the Gentiles as well.   And if they did not repent, and were unreceptive to the gospel, they would face the same lost opportunities as the Israelites during the time of Elijah and Elisha.  The Lord illustrated this possibility when He gave the examples of how Elijah, among the many widows in Israel, was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town that was suffering from famine.  “And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.”

The immediate reaction was not one of humility but that of a wounded pride and ego.  “When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff.”  They could not accept the truth of the message which was based on the scriptures.  They wanted to keep the Good News to themselves and saw themselves as superior to the Gentiles.  To think that God would offer the Good News to the Gentiles instead was an insult to them.  Hence, both Jeremiah and our Lord were rejected. 

Yet, both Jeremiah and Jesus were genuine prophets because they knew that they were called for the good of their people.  Jeremiah was called by the Lord even before he was formed in the womb.   The Lord said, “before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah was already in the plan of God.  This explains why he was ready to bear the persecution because the Lord had prepared him.  Indeed, he would suffer for the cause of God but he would be protected.  The Lord said, “So now brace yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you dismayed. I, for my part, today will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront all this land: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the country people. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you.” So convinced was he of his call that he could not reject the Word of God.  When under persecution, he remarked, “O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed.”  (Jer 20:7)

Truly, fidelity to one’s calling depends on our convictions and motivations in taking up a task, a calling or a responsibility.  If it is a matter of choice based on one’s interests and especially worldly rewards, such as popularity, recognition and material remuneration, we will give up when the tide turns against us, when our personal interests are not met.  This is because we are hired shepherds.  As the Lord says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.”  (Jn 10:11-13)

Indeed, this was the same conviction that drove Jesus to His mission.  He had encountered the Father’s love at His baptism when “the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk 3:21f) As Son of the Father, He knew that His life must be identified with the Father’s love and compassion.  As Son of the Father, He loved the world just as the Father loves the world.  St John wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  (Jn 3:16) Today’s gospel is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel when the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, taught in the synagogues and declared the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah in Him. for the “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”  (Lk 4:18)

Secondly, without this conviction of being called to our vocation accompanied by an experience of God’s love we will not be able to carry out our mission right to the end.  In today’s second reading, St Paul again reiterated that it is the love of God in us, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that is the basis for building a community of love.  It presupposes that we have encountered the love of God in the Holy Spirit.  He made it clear that our service to the community must be motivated by love.  “If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.”

Whether it is our Lord, Jeremiah or St Paul, the prophet is only able to remain focused and committed to his mission in spite of the rejection of his own people because he is filled with God’s love. This is because he seeks nothing for himself but the good and wellbeing of others and their salvation.  Only because of God’s love, was St Paul able to exhort the Christians to love like the Lord; “Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.”  No one can love the way St Paul describes of love, but with God’s grace, and knowing He loves us, we will be able to love with God’s strength.  So let us take heed of St Paul’s calling to “be ambitious for the higher gifts.”  Let us seek the love of God in Christ so that we can be empowered like Him.  Only then we can we be prophets of love with conviction.

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Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

THE LORD CARES FOR THE WEAK AND THE OPPRESSED

20220129 THE LORD CARES FOR THE WEAK AND THE OPPRESSED

 

 

29 January, 2022, Saturday, Week 3 in Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17 ©

David's penitence over Uriah

The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. He came to him and said:

‘In the same town were two men,

one rich, the other poor.

The rich man had flocks and herds

in great abundance;

the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb,

one only, a small one he had bought.

This he fed, and it grew up with him and his children,

eating his bread, drinking from his cup,

sleeping on his breast; it was like a daughter to him.

When there came a traveller to stay, the rich man

refused to take one of his own flock or herd

to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him.

Instead he took the poor man’s lamb

and prepared it for his guest.’

David’s anger flared up against the man. ‘As the Lord lives,’ he said to Nathan ‘the man who did this deserves to die! He must make fourfold restitution for the lamb, for doing such a thing and showing no compassion.’

  Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”

  ‘Thus the Lord speaks, “I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.”’

  David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. Yet because you have outraged the Lord by doing this, the child that is born to you is to die.’ Then Nathan went home.

  The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David and it fell gravely ill. David pleaded with the Lord for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night on the bare ground, covered with sacking. The officials of his household came and stood round him to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):12-17 ©

A pure heart create for me, O God.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

  put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

  nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

Give me again the joy of your help;

  with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

  and sinners may return to you.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

O rescue me, God, my helper,

  and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

O Lord, open my lips

  and my mouth shall declare your praise.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

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Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps26:11

Alleluia, alleluia!

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;

on an even path lead me.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Mark 4:35-41 ©

'Even the wind and the sea obey him'

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

 

THE LORD CARES FOR THE WEAK AND THE OPPRESSED

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SAM 12:1-7.10-17; PSALM 51:12-17; MARK 4:35-41]

All of us go through storms in our life.  These storms could have been caused by us or by unseen circumstances.  Sometimes, we are the victims and sometimes we are the oppressors. Whether victim or oppressor, all of us would have to suffer the consequences of the sins of others or those of our own.  When we suffer innocently, like the Prophet Nathan who must have been incensed at the injustice done to vulnerable men like Uriah and his men, or vulnerable women, like Bathsheba who could not resist the sexual demands of King David, the question at the back of our mind would be, how could the Lord allow innocent people to suffer and powerful evil men get away with their crimes?  In a nutshell, the question is, does God care?  Even sinners and offenders of the law, when facing their penalty, also ask the same question, “Does God care?”  Where is the mercy of God? 

So, too, the apostles who were facing physical dangers.  They were annoyed with the Lord who “was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.”  Jesus was asleep in the pilot’s seat and hence the danger was even more real despite the fact that four of them were experienced fishermen.  The wind was strong, the waves were beating over the boat, and the boat was filling up with water.  However, the person sitting in the pilot’s seat was fast asleep. If those who were fishermen thought they were in trouble, the rest would have been even more fearful.

So they cried out, “Master, do you not care? We are going down!”  This was the same cry of the early Church as well, when the Church was undergoing persecution.  Many Christians were tortured, imprisoned, and some martyred by the Romans.  Even today, in some places, Christians are still being physically persecuted.  And throughout the history of the Church, whenever the Church was in crisis, the same cry went out to the Lord.  Even now, as we face the pandemic, we too ask the same question, does the Lord care that so many are dying from Covid-19?

Of course, the answer is clear.  The Lord does care for us.  He cares in His own way, and He responds in His wisdom and goodness.  We might not be able to understand His ways but whether we perceive it as a lack of response or tardiness in answering our prayers, the Lord answers all the prayers of His people, the vulnerable, the suffering, those who suffer unjustly and those who repented and asked for mercy.  The Lord would not be pressured into answering our requests according to our beck and call.  He always chooses the right time to let us know of His care and love for us. 

In the case of King David, when the time was opportune, the Lord confronted him through the prophet Nathan.  Because he murdered Uriah and caused his men to perish with him, the Lord decreed that disasters would come upon his family.  Thus the Lord spoke, “I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.”  Indeed, David’s family eventually suffered much violence.  Four of his sons experienced premature death – an unnamed son (cf. 12:18), Amnon (cf. 13:29), Absalom (cf. 18:14-15), and Adonijah (cf. 1 Kgs 2:25).  Indeed, the first concrete punishment was the death of the child conceived by Bathsheba.  Even though he repented, fasted and did mortification, the Lord did not spare him the punishment. (2 Sm 12:15-23) Whilst we should all be personally responsible for our crimes, yet collectively, we suffer the mistakes of our leaders.   While we accept the principle of individual responsibility, the truth cannot be denied that we are in solidarity in sin or in grace, in joy and in sorrow.  Hence, Jeremiah 31.29 is still held to be valid, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”

Yet, we must give credit to David for his continued faith in God even though he was punished severely by Him.  He acknowledged without excuse his sins.  In humility and contrition, he pleaded for mercy and forgiveness.  Even though the Lord did show His mercy by not requiring him to be put to death for the abominable sins he committed, God did not remove all the consequences resulting from his sin.  Nevertheless, he did not give up on God nor lose faith in Him.  Even when his child died, he accepted the punishment calmly.  He said, “‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’  But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’  Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon.”   (2 Sm 12:22-24)

Indeed, when we cry to the Lord, it could be because we lack faith or because we trust that He would help.  David cried out to the Lord in faith.  He never doubted the power of God to heal and to save.  Even when punishment was already meted out, he never gave up on God.  And even when the child died, he moved on in faith.  He did not dwell on the past but looked ahead.   We read, “Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him, and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord.”  (2 Sm 12:24f)

In the case of the apostles, their cries were rooted in fear.  In this story, the emphasis was not that they doubted our Lord but that their fear overwhelmed them. In spite of the fact that they saw the miracles of our Lord, in casting out the Evil One, in healing all kinds of diseases, they still did not know His identity.  Their faith was still not strong enough for them to trust in the Lord and surrender their lives to Him.  Nevertheless, they were rescued even though they lacked faith.  What the Lord was asking of them was to overcome their fear with a growing faith in His identity.   Only faith can overcome fear in the face of trials and troubles.   

Today’s miracle foreshadows the cross of our Lord and the suffering of the apostles ahead of them.  The imprisonment of John the Baptist (Mk 1:14) and the plot to destroy our Lord (Mk 3:6) were indications of Calvary waiting Him.  Jesus warned His disciples that following Him was risky and would involve taking up their cross and following Him to Jerusalem.  Being with Jesus involved risk and could cost them their lives.   At the same time, the Lord was challenging the apostles to confront their fear of death.  But yet, this miracle was an assurance to the apostles that in spite of the risks they were taking, they could rely on Jesus to overcome their trials.  Faith in Jesus’ power would grow as they became clearer over the identity of Jesus.  This tension between fear and faith is a process in our spiritual growth.  The greater the faith, the lesser the fear.  When faith is lacking then our fears are exaggerated.

Forgetfulness is also another factor for the lack of faith. If David was irresponsible, it was because he forgot the undeserved blessings he had received from the Lord, with respect to his position as king, the protection from Saul when he was persecuting him, the possessions and privileges he took over from Saul when he gained control of Saul’s house and the opportunity to unite the house of Israel and Judah.  All these would not have been possible without His grace and divine assistance.  But he took them for granted and forgot His mercy.  Just like the apostles, if only we remember His love, mercy and power over evil, we will not fear.

Let us come to the Lord who will give us His peace when we trust in Him.  He gives us hope in times of sorrow and suffering.  We must cling on to Jesus as the disciples did when they were dealing with the storms of life.  Even when we suffer death, we are consoled that we will be with the Lord in heaven.   The Lord always gives us new hope and new perspectives in life.  We can overcome our fears and anxiety by knowing the Father who provides us and cares for us.   When we no longer fear death, we will find peace in our anxiety, living as fully as we can at every moment of our life, believing that even death cannot destroy us but fulfil us.

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Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.