Solid Faith and Liquid Hearts.

We need rock-like faith, but liquid hearts that can melt in compassion for the other.

However, the Pharisees were solid in the wrong place –

in their own hearts which only got closed in on itself. 

  

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51142

David said to Saul,

"Let no one be discouraged on account of this Philistine, for your servant will engage him in battle." Saul told David, "You cannot fight with this Philistine for you are still young, whereas this man has been a warrior from his youth."

David continued, "Yahweh, who delivered me from the paws of lions and bears, will deliver me from the hands of the Philistine." Saul then told David, "Go, and may Yahweh be with you!"

 

David yook his staff, picked up five smooth stones from the brook and dropped them inside his shepherd's bag. And with his sling in hand, he drew near to the Philistine. The Philistine moved forward, closing in on David, his shield-bearer in front of him. When he saw that David was only a lad, (he was of fresh complexion and handsome) he despised him and said, "Am I a dog that you should approach me with a stick?" Cursing David by his gods, he continued, "Come, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field!"

 

David answered the Philistine, "You have come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you with Yahweh, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. Yahweh will deliver you this day into my hands and I will strike you down and cut off your head. I will give the corpses of the Philistine army today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth shall know that there is a God of Israel. All the people gathered here shall know that Yahweh saves not by sword or spear; the battle belongs to Yahweh, and he will deliver you into our hands."

 

No sooner had the Philistine moved to attack him, then David rushed to the battleground. Putting his hand into his bag, he took out a stone, slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead; it penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, felling him without using a sword. He rushed forward, stood over him, took the Philistine's sword and slew him by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they scattered in all directions.

 

Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊       Mark 3:1-6

Again, Jesus entered the synagogue. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there; and some people watched Jesus: would he heal the man on the Sabbath? If he did, they could accuse him.

Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stand here, in the center." Then he asked them, "What does the law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?" But they were silent.

Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness at their hardness of heart. And he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was healed. As soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod's supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Conscience is God's voice."

Conscience is God's voice speaking to us from within. Openness to what our conscience dictates is what enables us to be governed by God's grace. A person heeding God's voice is the one who is sensitive to see God's grace. Today's Gospel narrates how Jesus healed a man with a paralyzed hand. The healing happened inside the synagogue. It took place on a Sabbath day.

 

The synagogue is a holy place for the Jews and Sabbath is a holy time. When we experience God's grace, our place becomes holy and our time turns sacred. The man whose hand was paralyzed experienced God's grace when Jesus healed him. However, such a moment of grace resulted in the connivance of the Pharisees with the supporters of Herod to destroy Jesus.

 

They wanted to destroy the one who performed a holy act by restoring somebody to health. They were not able to hear God's voice because of the hardness of their hearts. Our faith invites us to cooperate with God's grace at all times. We can truly be governed by God's grace when we heed his voice, responding to the challenge of doing something good for other people wherever and whenever possible.