Reading I
2 Sm 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27
David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites
and spent two days in Ziklag.
On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp,
with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.
David asked him, “Where do you come from?”
He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel.”
“Tell me what happened,” David bade him.
He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle
and that many of them had fallen and were dead,
among them Saul and his son Jonathan.
David seized his garments and rent them,
and all the men who were with him did likewise.
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening
for Saul and his son Jonathan,
and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel,
because they had fallen by the sword.
“Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul,
slain upon your heights;
how can the warriors have fallen!
“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished,
separated neither in life nor in death,
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions!
Women of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and in finery,
who decked your attire with ornaments of gold.
“How can the warriors have fallen–
in the thick of the battle,
slain upon your heights!
“I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother!
most dear have you been to me;
more precious have I held love for you than love for women.
“How can the warriors have fallen,
the weapons of war have perished!”
Gospel
Mk 3:20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Meditation: 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12,19,23-27
Today’s reading not only offers us front-row seats at the unfolding of an epic story, it also shows us why David was called a man after God’s own heart.
The scene is this: David, fresh off the battlefield, learns that King Saul has just died. Now to say that David and Saul were not friends would be a huge understatement. Saul had been trying for years to kill David, and had come close a few times. Because of Saul’s rage, David was forced to live literally underground in caves for a while, just to stay safe.
But when David learns of Saul’s death, he doesn’t rejoice or heave a sigh of relief. No, he weeps! His heart is broken over the passing of such a great man, and he mourns the loss that his death is to the whole people of Israel. How is such a reaction possible?
The key to understanding David’s response, and to developing a heart of humility and passion like his, is to understand how close David was to the Lord. The mere fact that so many psalms have been attributed to David is a reflection of his reputation as a man of prayer. Clearly, David was known for spending time sitting in God’s presence, fixing his interior eyes on the beauty and power of the Lord (Psalm 27:4). And this prayerfulness bore great fruit. As he came to understand God’s passionate, loving heart towards his people, much of the hardness of David’s own heart was burned away (139:23-24).
We too can be known as a people after God’s own heart. It can happen in us as we are sitting, or kneeling, or even dancing in the presence of the Lord in prayer. As we put forth our effort to seek him and to praise him, he responds by revealing his heart to us. And in that revelation, our own hearts are pierced. They are melted. And they are formed anew into his image.
Do you believe that this is possible? It really is. Just ask King David!
“Lord, your heart is beautiful! Come and soften my heart, and re-create it to be like yours—a heart of mercy, justice, and compassion.”
No comments:
Post a Comment