My reflections for Jan. 31, 2006 - Tuesday

January 31, 2006

Reading I
2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3

Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.

Now David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
“If he is alone, he has good news to report.”
The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.”
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
“Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you.”
But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!”

The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.

(In the same way as with Saul, David does not wish harm to come to his son, Absalom, even though the latter would willingly kill the former, if given the opportunity. On hearing of the death of Absalom, David goes into mourning for the life of his son just as he did for Saul. The day's military victory is a hollow one for David. Similarity with us, let us not wish any sort of evil upon our enemies but rather their return to the truth. Let us pary that they, too, will turn to Jesus and be saved!)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.

Gospel
Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd

and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to him,
“You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
“Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep.”
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”
which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

(We have here a classical example of an inclusion - story of the womn with a hemorrhage sandwiched between the healing of Jairus' daughter. This structure is deliberate as it is the woman's faith that is the model of faith that rsults int he healing of Jairus' daughter. Mark is telling us that if Jairus' daughter is to be healed, Jairus will have to have the faith of the woman with the hemorrhage who was healed. Likewise, we too should pray for an increase in faith so that such miracles might be done with us as the instruments.)

God's special verse/thought for me today.
Lord, I'm not worthy to even touch the end of your cloth but I know and believe that if I'm able to touch just even the end of one of the threads of your cloth, it will give me abundant blessings for eternity. In my current world, what is the end of your thread O Lord. Please show me where I could reach for that thread so I could do my best to stretch my hands and touch the tip with my finger.

my reflections
think: Let us not wish any sort of evil upon our enemies but rather their return to the truth.
O Lord, give me an open mind and heart to forgive the people who did wrong to me. I know that it is in my advantage to forgive them rather than harbor hatred in my heart. As I forgive these people Lord, I hope and pray that people that I offended forgive me too for my faults.

thank You Lord for: helping me find the path that leads to eternal contact with you. Thank you Lord for your mercy. I only live because of your mercy. Thank you Lord for making me realize the importance of forgiveness.