Reading I
Sir 47:2-11
Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people’s disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The Lord forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.
Gospel
Mk 6:14-29
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Meditation: Sirach 47:2-11
What a rousing description the Book of Sirach gives us of David, the greatest of Israel’s kings!
As a youth, he boldly slew the giant Goliath to defend the Israelite people against the Philistines. Later he subdued Israel’s enemies and transformed a weak coalition of tribes into a unified, powerful nation. What a hero! David also composed many psalms, added to the beauty of Israel’s worship of God, and even assured that his son Solomon would build a glorious Temple for the Lord. In all these wonderful deeds, King David seems larger than life.
But there was another side to David as well—a dark side, stained by sin, flawed by weaknesses. Overcome by lust, he took Bathsheba in adultery and then conspired to murder her husband, Uriah, to cover up his sin. Nor were David’s parenting skills very good: Several of his children turned from the Lord, and his own son, Absalom, led an armed rebellion against him.
It’s almost as if there were two Davids. On the one hand, he was full of faith, a “man after God’s heart” (Acts 13:22), who “with his whole being … loved his Maker” (Sirach 47:8). But on the other hand, his sins and failings had devastating consequences for himself, his family, and his nation. Yet David was repentant, and “the Lord forgave him his sins” (47:11). God kept his covenant with David and promised never to forsake him. Ultimately, God’s Son, Jesus—a descendant of King David—brought redemption and healing to fallen humankind.
Our lives may not hold such extremes as David’s did, but each of us has our bright and dark spots, our strong areas and our Achilles’ heels. So ask yourself in prayer today: “How can I overcome my weaknesses and reinforce my strengths?” Write down whatever answer you think the Lord gives you, and develop a plan that will help you make progress. Jesus, son of David and Messiah, is eager to help you, so yield to him and let him refashion you into his own image!
“Lord, you know my strengths and my weaknesses, my virtues and my failings, my good deeds and my sinful ways. Show me your mercy, Lord, and transform me. ‘Know my heart … and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Psalm 139:23-24).”
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