My reflections for Feb. 06, 2006 - Monday

February 6, 2006

Reading I
1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13

The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.)

King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt.

When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD’s glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, “The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever.”

(The Temple of God has been built and it will become the focal point of the Jewish religion for centuries to come. It was a magnificent building imposing and fit to be called a "House of God." It symbolizes for the people the presence of God in their midst. The Ark of the Covenant, the resting place of the stone tablets of the Law of Moses, resides in its sanctuary as the quarantor of God's presence and blessing.)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10

R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

Gospel
Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

(People were coming from everywhere to see Jesus and have Him heal their sick. I am sure that many came for the right reasons and others for the wrong reasons. We do not see Jesus rejecting any of them! Let us see in Jesus' acceptance of all who come to him as a model for our lives. We must prepare a place for all people in our hearts and in the midst of our communities. Jesus wants us to welcome all people into our midst.)


God's special verse/thought for me today.
Lord, I come to beg for your mercy so you will bless me. Begging you for mercy is showing that I TRUST you. I trust you Lord because you are my ONLY sure HOPE. You are the only one who could give what I desire for the goodness of your kingdom.

my reflections
think: We must prepare a place for all people in our hearts and in the midst of our communities.
I am ready Lord to place all people in my heart and in the midst of my community. I unconditionally accept your task for me to pass on the love that you have showed me. You showed me your love because you want me to pass this on to all people regardless of who they are. Your love will be expressed forever to all people because you that is what you desire.

thank You Lord for: not rejecting me.
thank You Lord for preparing a place for all people in my heart.
thank You Lord for Your Love.
thank You Lord for the task for me to pass on your Love.