20260129 STRUCK BY AMAZING GRACE
29 January 2026, Thursday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29 |
'The house of your servant will be blessed for ever'
After Nathan had spoken to him, King David went in and, seated before the Lord, said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, O Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future. You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God.
‘Now, O Lord, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, “The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, “I will build you a House”; hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. Yes, Lord, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 131(132):1-5,11-14 |
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
O Lord, remember David
and all the many hardships he endured,
the oath he swore to the Lord,
his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘I will not enter the house where I live
nor go to the bed where I rest.
I will give no sleep to my eyes,
to my eyelids I will give no slumber
till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
‘A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
‘This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
Gospel Acclamation | Ph2:15-16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ps118:105 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 4:21-25 |
A lamp is to be put on a lampstand. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given
Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’
STRUCK BY AMAZING GRACE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 7:18-19, 24-29; PS 132:1-5, 11-14; MK 4:21-25]
When does radical conversion happen in our life? It happens when we experience the amazing grace of God. As long as we do not understand that everything in life is the grace of God, we will not be utterly transformed. The real reason people do not experience God in their lives is that they rely only on themselves. They believe that success is due solely to their hard work, ingenuity, and sometimes “luck,” while failure is attributed to their shortcomings and incompetence. In this way, they have only themselves to blame. Nothing, then, is due to grace but to merit. And when everything is due to merit, there is no one to thank except oneself.
Yet the truth remains that there are many things in life beyond our control. Even when things are within our control, we know that we are weak and susceptible to temptation. Precisely because we are weak and unworthy, we are able to experience the graciousness of God, who cares for us. We know that by our own efforts alone, we cannot make everything happen. There must be something greater than ourselves to help us achieve what we cannot accomplish on our own. Such grace is truly overwhelming, for it is in recognising our helplessness that we come to experience it. The greater our awareness of our weakness, the greater our experience of grace.
This was certainly the case with David in his ambition for glory. Although the Bible tends to paint David in a positive light and even considers him to be the ideal king, we must not imagine him to be perfect or impeccable in integrity and holiness. In his early days in particular, he was ambitious, crafty, and sometimes unscrupulous. For instance, his marriage to Saul’s daughter was motivated by pragmatic and practical reasons rather than by romantic love; it was a means of entering the royal family. There were other weaknesses as well, such as lying to Ahimelech to obtain the five loaves of the consecrated showbread, which were normally reserved for the priests. He claimed that he was on a secret royal mission when, in fact, he was fleeing from King Saul. As a consequence, Saul killed all the priests for conspiring against him as accomplices of David. Even David later admitted, “I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house” (cf. 1 Sm 21:1-9; 1 Sm 22:9-21).
Yet in spite of his lack of integrity and his weaknesses, David was respectful of God and feared Him. He had moments of deep intimacy with the Lord, and his relationship with God distinguished him from the other kings. Indeed, about 73 or 75 psalms–nearly half of the collection of 150 psalms–are attributed to King David, for he composed them himself. These psalms reflect David’s prayer life, as well as his faith and love for God. In spite of his human imperfections, his heart was with the Lord. We can sense his genuineness and humility when he confessed his sins to the Lord, acknowledging his failures and negligence.
Later in his kingly career, when reprimanded by the prophet Nathan for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the killing of her husband, David repented immediately, without defending himself or making excuses for his sins (2 Sm 11-12). When he later ordered a census of the people of Israel, against God’s will and out of a lack of trust in Him, he was given three choices for punishment. He chose three days of severe plague, which resulted in the death of seventy thousand people because of his rash act. In his distress and guilt, he cried out to the Lord, saying: “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep–what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people” (1 Chr 21:17).
David was seen as the model king of Israel not because he was perfect or flawless, but because he recognised his humanity and his weaknesses. He was always ready to acknowledge his mistakes and accept the consequences of his sins without complaint or assigning blame to others. Later, when his son Absalom rebelled against him and he had to flee Jerusalem, one of his enemies, Shimei, cursed him. His men wanted to kill Shimei, but David said, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today” (2 Sm 15:11f). Such is the magnanimity and humility of David, despite his human weaknesses. Fundamentally, he was a man of gratitude toward God.
And so, the reflective David, having overcome all his enemies and comfortably settled in his palace, felt uneasy and summoned the prophet Nathan to share his plans. David said, “Look, I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” (1 Sm 7:2). After consulting the Lord, Nathan told David that God did not need him to build a house for Him. Instead, God promised to build a house for David–a dynasty of kings–and to ensure that his offspring would reign forever: “Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever” (1 Sm 7:16).
David was dumbfounded by God’s gracious and completely unexpected response. Seated before the Lord, he said, “Who am I, Lord, and what is my house, that you have led me this far? Yet in your sight, Lord, this is still not enough, and you make your promises extend to the house of your servant for a far-distant future.” It was unimaginable: God’s promise to ensure that his kingdom would last forever was a great blessing, one for which David was wholly undeserving. This is what it means to be struck by grace. Though he was unworthy even to be God’s anointed, God always forgave his mistakes and even guaranteed the continuity of his kingdom. This was possible not only because of God’s grace and blessing, but also because David was receptive to that grace and grateful for the blessings he received. He was humbled and overjoyed, and his love for the Lord grew from strength to strength. Though he was not a saint, he was considered a holy king because he allowed God’s mercy to purify him and humbly learned from his mistakes. Most of all, he never held resentment against God; even when punished, he accepted God’s judgment for his wrongs with humility and a repentant heart.
In the context of today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to learn lessons of repentance and self-acceptance from King David. He said, “Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you would put it on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.” The truth of God will ultimately prevail. We must not think that our sins can remain hidden from the Lord–or even from our fellowmen–for long. Sooner or later, they will surface. It is therefore important to live our lives like a lamp on a lampstand, transparent before others. We need not put on pretences; we should appear to others as we truly are. Jesus shows us that His message and Himself are one: what He teaches and preaches reflects how He lives and the principles He follows. Even the Pharisees recognised His integrity when they said, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men” (Mt 22:16). In the same way, we must recognise our fallen nature and our humanity.
Secondly, we need to hear the Word of God with attention and devotion, just as King David sat attentively before the Lord. The Lord tells us, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.” He also said, “Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given–and more besides; for the man who has will be given more, and from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Truly, unless we spend time reflecting on our lives and on His mercy and love–which is shown to us in countless ways each day–we will not grow in gratitude or humility before Him. Only those who are conscious of His love, even in ordinary blessings such as our health, our loved ones, our work, and our comfortable lifestyle, will be able to give thanks to God as David did. It is through this awareness that we grow in faith and confidence in His faithful love for us in our lives.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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