1ST READING
It
does not matter how right you are or how good you may be at a
particular task. There will always be some people who will refuse to be
your friends and accept you in your role. These can even be family
members and not just “natural”enemies. David, despite his overall
success, has many enemies, including his son. The troubles and trials of
the struggle for power and influence are there even in religious
realms.
2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13
13 An informant came to David with the report, “The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.” 14 At this, David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem: “Up!
Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave
quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us, then visit disaster upon us and
put the city to the sword.” 30 As David went up the Mount of
Olives, he
wept without ceasing. His head was covered, and he was walking
barefoot. All those who were with him also had their heads covered and
were weeping as they went. 16: 5 As David was approaching Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera of the same clan as Saul’s family, was coming out of the place, cursing as he came. 6 He
threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers, even though all
the soldiers, including the royal guard, were on David’s right and on
his left. 7 Shimei was saying as he cursed: “Away, away, you murderous and wicked man! 8 The
Lord has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul, in
whose stead you became king, and the Lord has given over the kingdom to
your son Absalom. And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.” 9 Abishai,
son of Zeruiah, said to the king: “Why should this dead dog curse my
lord the king? Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.” 10 But
the king
replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours, sons of Zeruiah, that
he curses? Suppose the Lord has told him to curse David; who then will
dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’” 11 Then
the king said to Abishai and to all his servants: “If my own son, who
came forth from my loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this
Benjaminite do so! Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this
day.” 13 David and his men continued on the road, while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
P S A L M
Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R: Lord, rise up and save me.
1 [2] O Lord, how many are my adversaries! Many rise up against me! 2 [3] Many are saying of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.” (R) 3 [4] But you, O Lord, are my shield; my glory, you lift up my head! 4 [5] When I call out to the Lord, he answers me from his holy mountain. (R) 5 [6] When I lie down in sleep, I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. 6 [7] I fear not the myriads of people arrayed against me on every side. (R)
GOSPEL
Poor
pigs! What had they done to deserve being driven into a lake? The Jews
do not eat pork, so perhaps another question might be, “Why are there
pigs in this area in the first place?” Perhaps there were financial
considerations — we are not told. However, the people were concerned
about Jesus’ presence due to the loss of the pigs. Perhaps this
indicates that they were more focused on making money than adhering to
the Jewish way of life.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.
Mark 5:1-20
1 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. 2 When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. 3 The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. 4 In fact, he had
frequently been bound with
shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the
shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. 6 Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, 7crying
out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” 8
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) 9 He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” 10And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. 11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. 12And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” 13And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. 14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 15 As
they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been
possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And
they were seized with fear. 16 Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. 17Then they began to beg him to leave their district. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. 19 But
Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your
family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for
you.”
20 Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
LIST
think:
We must always be on guard because the troubles and trials of the
struggle for power and influence are there even in religious realms.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Acts 25-28
No comments:
Post a Comment