Monday, January 30, 2006
MEMORIAL, ST JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST
JANUARY 31, 2006
MEMORIAL, ST JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST
TUESDAY 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR II
2 SAMUEL 18:9-10,14,24-25,30-19:3
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. Joab replied, "I will not waste time with you in this
way." 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 mounted 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." As he kept coming nearer, The
king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here." So he stepped
aside and remained there. When the Cushite 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.
MARK 5:21-43
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the
lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing
Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, "My
little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so
that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him. A large
crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had
been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great
deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet
instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about
Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be
healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body
that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that
power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and
asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding
against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, `Who
touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at
his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said
to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be
freed from your suffering." While Jesus was still speaking, some men
came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter
is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Ignoring
what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid;
just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James
and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the
synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and
wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion
and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at
him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and
mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the
child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!"
(which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the
girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this
they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let
anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
REFLECTION
Today's first reading focuses on David's anguish over the death of
his son, Absalom. His anguish has been called one of the most
heartrending passages in Scripture. "My son, my son Absalom! Would
I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!"
The Scripture comments, "the day's victory was turned to mourning
for all the troops, because they learned that the king was grieving
for his son." Unfortunately, it was David who had created the
situation that led to his son's death. Go back to yesterday's
reflection; consider the evil that flowed from David's excessive
love for his other son, Amnon. Had David given justice to Tamar and
Absalom, these evils never would have occurred. The final evil was
of course the death of Absalom.
David's love for his family was very intense and worthy of
imitation. The difficulty is that devotion to family can be
misplaced; the family can be given absolute value and this can cause
many evils both for the family and even for those outside the family.
In any country in which family ties are very strong, as they are in
the Philippines, there is danger that defense of family members will
cross over the boundary into injustice. The family member accused
may be acquitted, but only at cost to the victims and to society in
general.
POINTS TO PONDER
How does my own faith compare to the suffering woman in today's
Gospel?
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- Thanksgiving and personal intentions of Baby Jane Figuerres.
- for the personal intentions of Tes.
- for the safe travel of Tisha.
- for the speedy recovery of Alejandro Hernandez.
- for the healing of Eric Guevarra. May the Blessed Mother
strengthen his family and enlighten his doctors and caregivers to
give him the best care possible.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Chris N. Eternal rest grant
unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he and all the
souls of the dearly departed rest in peace.
- for healing of Sister Annie C.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Marc Daniel P. Chua
- Prayer Intention: Lety Tiu
- Wedding Anniversary: Kit & Menchi Narciso
- Wedding Anniversary: Chito & Tes Santiago
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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