January 18, Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Daily readings: 1 Samuel 18:6–9; 19:1–7; Mark 3:7–12
Jealousy eats up a person, and she or he can go to any extent to do anything against that person. David was growing in stature while Saul was losing his popularity. Saul was old enough to be a good father to David. He should have been the first to rejoice at the defeat of the Philistines and raise David to a pedestal. The song of praise that women sang stirred his mind, prompting him to closely observe David.
Jealousy enrages a person. Saul attempts to take away David’s life. The more Saul hated David, the more Jonathan loved him. The more Saul wanted to kill David, the more Jonathan tried to play the role of a mediator to pacify his father. Jonathan taught his father to concentrate on the essentials, such as David’s courage to take on Goliath, rather than the song of appreciation for women. We appreciate Jonathan for being a mediator of peace! Concentrating on the essentials and closing our eyes to other unnecessary details will bring lots of peace of mind!
Jesus’ popularity grows day by day because of his authoritative teachings and miracles. He begins to draw such a large crowd around him that he has no time to pray or eat. Jesus withdraws himself to the sea together with his disciples. People look for him for various reasons with varied motivations. Some are curious, while others want healing. Some want to follow him, while others want to know if Jesus is the Messiah.
Ironically, the demons and the people possessed by demons recognize him. Before Peter could confess, some unclean spirits proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus is not in need of their confession, which gives birth to many misconceptions about him. Jesus is aware that many people begin to nurture political aspirations built around him. However, Jesus was aware that his kingdom was spiritual.
Holy Mother Church honors Dominican nun St. Margaret of Hungary. In spite of being the daughter of King Bela IV of Hungary, she dedicated her body and soul to God in celibate living. She found her holiness in performing simple tasks in the monastery.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: If I hesitate to appreciate someone for who she or he is, it is a sign of jealousy and hatred. How do I overcome such disastrous feelings?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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