20240123 THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH
23 January 2024, Tuesday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Samuel 6:12-15,17-19 © |
David dances before the ark of the Lord
David went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing. When the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. And David danced whirling round before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him. Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with acclaim and the sound of the horn. They brought the ark of the Lord in and put it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before the Lord, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 23(24):7-10 © |
Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.
Who is the king of glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:135 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 3:31-35 © |
Who are my mother and my brothers? Those that do the will of God
The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’
THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 6:12-15, 17-19; MK 3:31-35]
In the first reading, we have the account of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David. This was truly a joyous event because the Ark was the symbol of the presence of God with His people. Since the time of Moses, during their sojourn in the desert, the Ark of the Covenant travelled with them. Whenever they brought the Ark with them, they won the battles against their enemies. Even the pagan Philistines recognized the awesome presence of God in the Ark. (1 Sm 4:6-9) After the Philistines captured it, they were beset with misfortunes and plagues, so much so they were forced to return the Ark to the Israelites. (1 Sm 5,6)
It was now the opportune time for King David to bring back the ark of God to the Citadel of David. After the first failed attempt, he was encouraged to do so again because he heard of the blessings that came upon the house of Obed-edom. Now that his enemies have been conquered, it was also politically important for King David to bring the Ark to the capital as it was the way to unite the Twelve tribes of Israel through a common worship of Yahweh. It was a day of great rejoicing and hope for David when the Ark came to the Citadel because it was a harbinger of great blessings to come.
So overwhelmed with joy was David when the Ark arrived, that “When the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. And David danced whirling round before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him. Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with acclaim and the sound of the horn.” This expression of spontaneous praise and worship of God, is what the Lord expects of us as well when we praise and worship Him. The Lord instructed Moses to command the people, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Dt 6:5) In this instance, we see the sincere devotion of David to the Lord, manifested in his external demonstration of unrestrained and dynamic joy.
But it was not just an emotional and sentimental outburst. David truly believed the Lord was with them. “David offered holocausts before the Lord, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.” He also wanted everyone to participate in the blessings that God was giving them. Hence, he “distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.”
What about us? We have the New Ark of the Covenant with us, the real presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. How many of us, when we celebrate the Eucharist, have that kind of enthusiasm and joy? Perhaps, in some really well-prepared liturgy and special occasions where we have a choir that allows active participation in the liturgy and a meaningful celebration of the Word of God, led by a prayerful and inspiring presider, we might be able to feel the presence of God, and share in the joy of worshipping the Lord, finding strength from the celebration with renewed hope, joy and passion. But in most instances, we do not see the joy in the faces of the people, nor the interior joy in them when they worship the Lord. Although practically all receive Holy Communion, how many of us really and truly believe what we are receiving, and who it is that is present in the bread and wine, to the extent that we feel grateful, humbled and assured of God’s presence in our hearts. For many, receiving Holy Communion has not changed us because it was simply received with nominal faith.
What could be the reason? Firstly, it could be due to a lack of shared experience. It is a common experience that will bring about a dynamic worship. When we see those in the Renewal movements, the obvious phenomenon is seeing them worship with their heart, soul and strength, expressed in the raising and clapping of hands, bowing in adoration, and even dancing. They all have a common experience of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and they have encountered the power and healing grace of God deeply when they were prayed over, or simply when they worshipped Him. They know that God is real, and miracles are real. Through their liberating experience, they break all barriers and self-consciousness, and praise God spontaneously with faith, joy and hope.
In the Eucharistic celebration, especially when people come out of obligation or routine, those who have not encountered the Lord do not have that shared experience. Their faith in God is merely a nominal faith, or at most an intellectual faith. They give their assent to the doctrines of the Church but they cannot enter into the experience of the Church which the doctrines seek to encapsulate. Often, people think that doctrines are empty simply because they are couched in legalistic terms. This is necessary because doctrines express the common experience of God in Christ. Doctrines are empty only because we have detached the doctrines from the experience. So those who ascribe to the doctrines without the religious experience will find those formulas of faith dry and empty. Indeed, we wonder how many people really understand the context of the Profession of Faith we make every Sunday. It is just a creed that most recite without understanding the implication of what they confess, or the background, and least of all, the experience of the Christians, which these formulas seek to mediate to all. Indeed, even in such a critical moment during the Sacrament of Confirmation, when candidates are asked to renew their profession of faith, one could hardly hear the unenthusiastic response of those asking for confirmation. We wonder what kind of witness they would be, or whether they are really convinced of the faith they affirm.
In the gospel, we read of those who are called to be the kinsmen of our Lord. We are told that “the mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.” Our Lord asked rhetorically, “Who are my mother and brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.” Clearly, for our Lord, what makes us truly His relatives are those who share in His vision, mission and values; and most of all, His total devotion and love for His Father. It is not the external nor even biological ties that will unite us with Jesus. Unless we seek to do the will of God, just as He did, we are not one with Him in heart, mind and soul.
In the same way too, just because we are baptized Catholics, or we might go to Church every Sunday to fulfil our obligations, and even receive Holy Communion perfunctorily, we are not truly members of His body, except in name. To be Christ’s relatives, we must be one in Him. We must share in His life, love, passion and zeal for the house of God. We need to enter into Him, take up His cross and follow after Him. We need to sacrifice our lives for others in humble service. Unless we imbibe in the values of the gospel, are convinced and excited in living his way of life, we are not yet one with Him because we do not share a common experience, a common interest and a common loyalty to God or a common goal in life.
Hence, today, we are called to go beyond the externals. We are called to search deep into our hearts and see how we are connected with the Lord. We need to strengthen our personal relationship with Him in personal prayer and in community worship. In formal worship, we need to interiorize what we say, pray and sing. We need to be watchful that our prayers do not become a routine. We need to use our heart, our mind and our soul to pray with one’s entire being. We need to feel with Jesus. We need also to spend time in contemplation and in affective prayer. Finally, we need the community to help us encounter Jesus in the flesh. Gathering as a family of God, sharing our faith, our prayers and having meals and fellowship together help us to make Jesus more real in our lives, especially when we hear each other’s testimonies of how God is working in our lives.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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