Posted on 01/30/2020 11:32:35 PM PST by Salvation
At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joabs armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, I am with child.
David therefore sent a message to Joab,
Send me Uriah the Hittite.
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, Go down to your house and bathe your feet.
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the kings table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lords servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of Davids army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died.
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
I have done such evil in your sight
that you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus said to the crowds:
This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.
He said,
To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
For the readings of the Memorial of Saint John Bosco, please go here.
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk4; ordinarytime; prayer; saints;
From: 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
Davids Sin
[2] It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the kings house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. [3] And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? [4a] So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. Then she returned to her house. [5] And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, I am with child.
[6] So David sent word to Joab, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. [7] When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. [8] Then David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. And Uriah went out of the kings house, and there followed him a present from the king. [9] But Uriah slept at the door of the kings house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. [10a] (When) they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house. [13] And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
[14] In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. [15] In the letter he wrote, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die. [16] And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. [17] And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite was slain also.
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Commentary:
11-12:25. The birth of Solomon, chosen by God to be the first and greatest of Davids successors (12:20-25), is preceded by the drama that results from the gravest sins committed by David. The book of Chronicles, perhaps in a desire not to tarnish the image of David, makes no mention of Davids adultery. But the book of Samuel reports it in detail; by so doing it shows that salvation history is not the result of the merits and virtues of its protagonists, but of the mercy of God who forgives sins and always keeps his project of salvation on track. Here we see David, like Adam, and despite all God has given him, yielding to temptation and committing the two most grievous sins, the only sins punishable by death both in Israel and among its neighbors—murder and adultery. And yet as also happened in the case of Adam, the mercy of God prevails and David finds his way again. Once he has repented and been pardoned he will have another son by Bathsheba, by the wife of Uriah (Mt 1:6), but this time within marriage, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of Nathan. This son, Solomon called by Nathan “Jedidiah” that is, beloved of the Lord (12:25), will be the first link in the sons of David and will mark the start of hope in a future Messiah.
11:1-27. Davids grave sin involves three actions—adultery (vv. 1-5), the scheme to cover up evidence of that sin and avoid the penalty attaching to it (vv. 6-13), and his decision to get rid of Uriah (vv. 14-24).
The adultery is reported very plainly, just enough to identify David as the father of the child. The text also shows in a veiled way (by referring to Bathshebas imprudence in bathing within sight of the king) that she herself is not an innocent party. Thus there is a marked analogy between this sin and that of Adam and Eve. The woman who will play an important part in the life of Solomon also had an active role from the very start of her relationship with David. The image of the idle king, exposed to the onslaught of passion, is used in Christian tradition as a warning about the need to keep ones senses under control in order to avoid falling into other sins. The appetites are inflamed by the sensuality of the gaze, and our eyes, used to looking lustfully at our neighbor because we are so idle, spark impure desires (Clement of Alexandria, “Paedagogus”, 3, 77, 1). And [St] J. Escrivá writes: The eyes! Through them many iniquities enter the soul. So many experiences like Davids !—If you guard your sight you will have assured the guard of your heart (”The Way”, 183).
The account goes into more detail when describing the malice of the king as he makes every effort to ensure that his good name is not sullied: he twice tries to get Uriah to go down to his house (wash your feet: v. 8 is a euphemism for marital relations) and, when he sees that he cannot make Uriah responsible for Bathshebas pregnancy, he decides to arrange for him to die in battle. It is the worst sort of cynicism a king could be guilty of. The death of Uriah (vv. 16-17), one of the best and most loyal soldiers in the army, marks the climax of Davids sin: the murderer has planned a perfect crime which hides his own part in that crime and will also cover up his earlier adultery. His accomplice in this sordid business is Joab, his cold and unscrupulous lieutenant who is interested only in his personal advantage (vv. 19-21) and who has nothing to lose.
Everything seemed to go smoothly once Bathsheba was installed in the palace as the kings wife and gave birth to her son. But David, as Adam was in the first days, is unmasked by the Lord: just when the cover-up seems to have worked, a severe divine sentence is pronounced: the thing that David had done displeased the Lord (v. 27).
From: Mark 4:26-34
Parables of the Seed and of the Mustard Seed
[30] And He said, “With what can we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? [31] It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; [32] yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
The End of the Parables Discourse
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Commentary:
26-29. Farmers spare no effort to prepare the ground for the sowing; but once the grain is sown there is nothing more they can do until the harvest; the grain develops by itself. Our Lord uses this comparison to describe the inner strength that causes the Kingdom of God on earth to grow up to the day of harvest (cf. Joel 3:13 and Revelation 14:15), that is, the day of the Last Judgment.
Jesus is telling His disciples about the Church: the preaching of the Gospel, the generously sown seed, will unfailingly yield its fruit, independently of who sows or who reaps: it is God who gives the growth (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). It will all happen “he knows not how”, without men being fully aware of it.
The Kingdom of God also refers to the action of grace in each soul: God silently works a transformation in us, whether we sleep or watch, causing resolutions to take shape in our soul—resolutions to be faithful, to surrender ourselves, to respond to grace—until we reach “mature manhood” (cf. Ephesians 4:13). Even though it is necessary for man to make this effort, the real initiative lies with God, “because it is the Holy Spirit who, with His inspirations, gives a supernatural tone to our thoughts, desires and actions. It is He who leads us to receive Christ’s teaching and to assimilate it in a profound way. It is He who gives us the light by which we perceive our personal calling and the strength to carry out all that God expects of us. If we are docile to the Holy Spirit, the image of Christ will be found more and more fully in us, and we will be brought closer every day to God the Father. `For whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God’ (Romans 8:14)” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 135).
30-32. The main meaning of this parable has to do with the contrast between the great and the small. The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth is something very tiny to begin with (Luke 12:32; Acts 1:15); but it will grow to be a big tree. Thus we see how the small initial group of disciples grows in the early years of the Church (cf Acts 2:47; 6:7; 12:24), and spreads down the centuries and becomes a great multitude “which no man could number” (Revelation 7:9). This mysterious growth which our Lord refers to also occurs in each soul: “the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21); we can see a prediction of this in the words of Psalm 92:12: “The righteous grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” To allow the mercy of God to exalt us, to make us grow, we must make ourselves small, humble (Ezekiel 17:22-24; Luke 18:9-14).
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Liturgical Colour: White.
These are the readings for the feria
First reading |
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2 Samuel 11:1-4,5-10,13-17 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
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Psalm 50(51):3-7,10-11 © |
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:27 |
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Or: | Mt11:25 |
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Gospel | Mark 4:26-34 © |
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These are the readings for the memorial
First reading |
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Philippians 4:4-9 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
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Psalm 102(103):1-4,8-9,13-14,17-18 © |
Gospel Acclamation | Mt23:11,12 |
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Gospel | Matthew 18:1-5 © |
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John Boscos theory of education could well be used in todays schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with ones work, study and play.
Encouraged during his youth in Turin to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan in Turin, and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.
After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, Don Bosco opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.
By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. John’s interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers.
Johns preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854, he and his followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales.
With Pope Pius IXs encouragement, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.
John Bosco educated the whole personbody and soul united. He believed that Christs love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we dowork, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.
Boys
Editors
Youth
That is, fear. For the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Then the full corn in the ear; that is, charity, for charity is the fulfilling of the Law.
7
Pray for Pope Francis.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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