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“Saint Thomas Aquinas Girded by Angels”
Diego Velázquez, c. 1650’s |
Readings for Friday of the Third
Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem
Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
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 Joab’s 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 king’s 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 lord’s 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 David’s army
fell,
and among them Uriah the
Hittite died.
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Commentary on 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
In this passage
from the Second Book of Samuel, King David falls prey to his human desires and
human weakness as he abuses the power of his high station to commit an act of
adultery. He then compounds his sin by
contributing directly to the death of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband.
God’s laws have been violated and David will be punished for this injustice.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
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.
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Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
Psalm 51 is a
communal lament, perhaps the most penitential of the psalms. These strophes
constitute a song of contrition as the sins of the singer are
acknowledged. We note the results of
unatoned or unreconciled sin is the anguish of guilt which the singer begs to
be lifted.
CCC: Ps
51:6 431, 1850
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Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 4:26-34
We
are given two parables from the Gospel of St. Mark. The first is unique to
Mark’s Gospel, and follows the parable of the Sower in Mark 4:1-9. The
mystery of the seed is analogous to Jesus’ own ministry which starts as a seed
but grows to encompass the world. Another frequent analogy follows: the
seed, apparently dying, falling to the earth, and buried, then rising to new
life - the great paschal mystery.
The
second parable, the parable of the Mustard Seed, echoes the vision of the
Kingdom of God described in Ezekiel 17:23; Ezekiel 31:6, with the
image of the Kingdom of God providing a resting place for all, just as the
giant cedars of Lebanon do for the birds.
CCC:
Mk 4:33-34 546
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Reflection:
There are two related
concepts presented in Sacred Scripture today.
First, we have the story from the Second Book of Samuel about King David’s
fall into sin with Bathsheba. His
example, while serving as a warning, also has some comfort for us. It clearly demonstrates that even the
mightiest anointed one of God might be tempted to sin and fall from grace. There is a saying that is supported by this
event that had its origins (at least in English) back in the 1700’s that most
of us are also familiar with: “Power corrupts; absolute power
corrupts absolutely.” David fell into the sin of adultery because
it was within his power to take whatever he desired, and he was not strong
enough to resist the call of the flesh.
Further demonstrating human weakness and the corrupting influence of power,
David kills Bathsheba’s husband indirectly by placing him in harm’s way. He
essentially orders the death of Uriah.
The story of David and
Bathsheba is compellingly human and serves as a warning to all persons who
assume positions in which they have power over others, be that in politics,
business, the military, or even (perhaps especially) the Church. The temptation to abuse power and misuse
trust is one of the greatest evils of our human condition. The dangers of greed, lust, and pride should
be identified with giant letters whenever a person is promoted to a position of
power or authority. The greater the power the more temptation to these sins
will be present.
We go so far as to suggest
that, in addition to swearing allegiance to the U.S. Constitution (or any other
country’s form of government), any person who accepts the public trust must be
publicly warned of the danger of this kind of corruption. People who lack principles or strength of
character routinely fall into scandal as a consequence. Some so identified are contrite; others
demonstrate, by their behavior, that contrition is not part of their character.
On the heels of this story of
power, greed, and corruption comes the Gospel, which reminds us that what we
risk losing when we fall into the trap of sin is nothing less than the Kingdom
of God and eternal life. What we also
recognize from the Gospel is that the more gifted the person is the higher the
bar is set, the greater the Lord’s expectations (e.g., the parable of the
talents). As members of one of the most
affluent societies on earth, this should be a grave warning for us indeed. We are called to a higher standard of
behavior, a greater love of neighbor and God, a more charitable lifestyle.
The Lord calls us not to be
comfortable with our wealth and power, but to see it as both a responsibility
and as a risk. Instead of seeing those
with great wealth through the eyes of envy, we should look at them with pity,
for their accountability will be great, and the risk they face is immense. Today we pray for those of great wealth or
power, may they be stronger than King David and listen to the Holy Spirit as their
guide.
Pax
[1]
The picture used today is “Saint Thomas Aquinas Girded by Angels” Diego
Velázquez, c. 1650’s.
[2]
S.S. Commemoratio[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the
psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
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