The WORD today reminds me
of the warning to those who lack faith.
Yesterday,
we saw the importance and power of faith. Now we see the opposite.
David
in the first reading ordered a census. That in itself is not bad, but the
motivation behind it was what made it bad. We may be surprised why God
reacted that way for David ordering a census. He just got the numbers. It was
not part of today’s reading, but verse 3 of the reading says that Joab tried to
warn David not to do it, but David did not listen. David wanted to know the
number of people to see how strong he was, how strong his army was and not to
be able to serve the people better. In doing so, he was becoming proud, relying
on his army rather than God. This showed lack of faith in God and his
arrogance.
In
the gospel, Jesus was not able to do many things in his own town because of the
people’s lack of faith. His power and love has not changed. It was the attitude
of the people that’s different. This lack of faith of the people prevented him
from doing great things.
Our lack of faith limits God's power on us.
When we realize we lack faith, and worse, when we sin
because of that lack of faith, we must quickly turn back to God. We must be
humble and be truly sorry, and ask God’s forgiveness. Kapag
nagkasala, Dapat kapalan na natin ang mukha natin at wag mahiya,
kasi pag nahiya tayong bumalik at lumapit sa kanya, lalo tayong
mapapalayo.
David, although he sinned greatly, was humble and quickly
asked God for forgiveness, unlike the people in the gospel who did not realize
what they had just done.
God loves us. God is powerful. He can and he will forgive
us. We just need to be humble, repent, and ask for His forgiveness.
How
is my faith in God? Does my faith falter when situations are challenging? Do I
doubt God’s love and power when the world tells me my situation is helpless?
How can I improve my faith? What situations did God prove his love and power,
even if situation seems impossible? What is he telling me today?
May
we always remember these things, and always remember that we need faith in
order to experience God’s love and power. May we be sensitive enough to realize
when we are starting to lack faith, and be quick to do something about it,
before it’s too late.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank
you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to know you more.
Thank you for the warning that should be my inspiration to develop my faith and
relationship with you. Sorry for the times I act like David - arrogant when
things are doing great, forgetting that you made all things possible and not
myself. Sorry for being like the people who question you. Help me be a child
you would be proud of. Help me be a child that would bring a smile on your
face. May I glorify you by living right, by having faith developed from a good
personal relationship with you. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
February 5 2020
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Memorial of Saint Agatha
Lectionary: 325
Lectionary: 325
Reading
1 2
SM 24:2, 9-17
King
David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number.”
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number.”
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
Afterward,
however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish.”
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”
David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man.”
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
“Enough now! Stay your hand.”
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred.”
and said to the LORD:
“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish.”
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”
David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man.”
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
“Enough now! Stay your hand.”
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred.”
Responsorial
Psalm PS 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R.
(see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have
done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done
Gospel JN
10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK
6:1-6
Jesus
departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
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