Daily Reflection – Jan 20, 2016

Wednesday 20 January 2016

First Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Responsorial Psalm:
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Psalm 143(144):1-2, 9-10
Gospel Reading: Mark 3:1-6

Today’s Saint: St Fabian; St Sebastian

Gospel Reading:

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Reflection:

We are just beginning chapter 3 in this gospel, the first one written, and already Jesus has aroused the rage of the religious leaders who looked “to destroy him.” What was his sin? Healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. In the first reading we see young David destroy Goliath with a slingshot and rout the Philistine army. The psalm attributes human abilities in war to God who “trains my hands for battle.” We know that in our church there is a development of doctrine over 2000 years. So we can allow the images of God to develop over an almost 4000 year history.

For those who glory in war, those who kill in God’s name (whether that is in Ireland, Africa, or fundamentalists anywhere). Pray for their victims, the ones who have been “destroyed” by such misguided religion. Pray for your own conversion from violence, even in the hidden places of your heart.

Jesus, healing love, so much in our nations’ hands is withered by greed, violence and even religion. Please be with those destroyed by “developed” countries, and heal our hearts.