The Word Among Us: A Catholic Devotional based on the Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Monday, January 18, 2016

The Word Among Us: A Catholic Devotional based on the Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Monday, January 18, 2016

Meditation: 1 Samuel 15:16 Then Sh’mu’el said to Sha’ul, “Stop! I’m going to tell you what Adonai said to me last night.” He said, “Speak.” 17 Sh’mu’el then said, “You may be small in your own sight, but you are head of the tribes of Isra’el — Adonai anointed you king over Isra’el! 18 Now Adonai sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy ‘Amalek, those sinners; keep making war on them until they have been exterminated. 19 Why did you seize the spoil instead of paying attention to what Adonai said? From Adonai’s viewpoint, you have done an evil thing.” 20 Sha’ul said to Sh’mu’el, “I did too pay attention to what Adonai said, and I carried out the mission on which Adonai sent me. I brought back Agag the king of ‘Amalek, and I completely destroyed ‘Amalek. 21 But the people took some of the spoil, the best of the sheep and cattle set aside for destruction, to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal.” 22 Sh’mu’el said,

“Does Adonai take as much pleasure

in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as in obeying what Adonai says?

Surely obeying is better than sacrifice,

and heeding orders than the fat of rams.

23 “For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery,

stubbornness like the crime of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of Adonai,

he too has rejected you as king.”

2nd Week in Ordinary Time
I did indeed obey the Lord.(1 Samuel 15:20)
Poor King Saul! Until Samuel confronted him, he had no idea he had disobeyed God. As far as he was concerned, he had just wiped out a formidable enemy, as God had instructed. He just hadn’t gotten around to dealing with their king yet. Surely that was a minor omission. He had even improved on God’s commandment: instead of destroying all the livestock, he had set aside the choicest animals to offer as a sacrifice. Was that really such a bad thing?
Sometimes what God asks of us is very clear. We gladly carry out most of it, except for one minor detail. We work through our painful memories until we can forgive everyone who hurt us—except one person. We’re willing to extend the kiss of peace to anyone at Mass—except that man whom you saw at the mall walking arm in arm with another man.
It’s also tempting to add to God’s simple commands and then impose our additions on other people. For instance, in situations where we’re tempted to swear, we may decide to refrain from speaking at all, even when our strong reaction might provide a holy perspective.
Today begins the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Are there ways in which we are tempted to add to or take away from what God requires for the sake of unity? Maybe we go beyond what God commands, insisting that everyone adopt every detail of Catholic worship or Church governance. We forget that multiple perspectives can provide a fuller picture and that God is honored in many ways. Or do we seek unity at the expense of the fundamental truths of the gospel, minimizing the importance of any belief or practice that seems to divide us?
St. Augustine shows us a path to unity that is both simple and challenging: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Knowing that Jesus, the Bridegroom, is dwelling with all of his people, let’s ask him to show us the way forward. Let’s seek out those “fresh wineskins” that can bear his potent love to a world longing for hope and meaning (Mark 2:22).
“Jesus, you urgently desire for all of your people to be one. Show us how we can cooperate with this great work of yours.” Amen!
Psalm 50:8 I am not rebuking you for your sacrifices;

your burnt offerings are always before me.

9 I have no need for a bull from your farm

or for male goats from your pens;

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right do you have to proclaim my laws

or take my covenant on your lips,

17 when you so hate to receive instruction

and fling my words behind you?

21 When you do such things, should I stay silent?

You may have thought I was just like you;

but I will rebuke and indict you to your face.

23 “Whoever offers thanksgiving

as his sacrifice honors me;

and to him who goes the right way

I will show the salvation of God.”

Mark 2:18 Also Yochanan’s talmidim and the P’rushim were fasting; and they came and asked Yeshua, “Why is it that Yochanan’s talmidim and the talmidim of the P’rushim fast, but your talmidim don’t fast?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Can wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, fasting is out of the question. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; and when that day comes, they will fast. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old coat; if he does, the new patch tears away from the old cloth and leaves a worse hole. 22 And no one puts new wine in old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is for freshly prepared wineskins.”
---------------------