Daily Retreat 02/03/06

2006 Feb 3 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Blase, bp, mt/ Ansgar, bp, ms

Sir 47: 2-11/ Ps 17(18): 31. 47 and 50. 51/ Mk 6: 14-29

From today’s readings: "Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings, so was David in Israel.... Blessed be God my salvation!.... King Herod heard about Jesus, for His fame had become widespread....."

Just as, in his words and memory, David so eulogized Saul after his death, so Sacred Scripture now speaks so well of David (in today’s first reading from Sirach, and elsewhere in the Bible), notwithstanding his sins.

I imagine for many readers, it might come as something new, this revelation of David over the past weeks as a complex character, with a sinister side in addition to his more familiar heroic face. This very tension, of course, adds dimension to his literary weight; and even though morally, there never is justification for even a small sin, yet David’s failures at least can demythologize him for us - he was a real person, not a legendary demigod. By now, we’ve seen that his struggles and falls are all too similar to our own weaknesses, and yet the implication then is that his heroic strengths are not unreachable for you and me, if we just follow the noble part of David’s example, since he...

"...called upon the Most High God, Who gave strength to his right arm to defeat the skilled warrior and raise up the might of his people.... With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. With his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had His praises sung; he set singers before the altar and by their voices he made sweet melodies, he added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year so that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak the sanctuary would resound. The LORD forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty and established his throne in Israel!"

 

Note:  The Virtual Retreat is now being blogged!  In recent years, weblogs (better known as "blogs") have become increasingly popular, so I've decided to also offer the Virtual Retreat in that format (http://virtualretreat.blogspot.com/).  The daily reflections will continue to be posted on the Immaculate Heart Retreat website (www.ihrc.net) and still emailed to those who have signed up for the free mailing list at dailyretreat.org.  The new blog format will better accomodate those who have requested access to past reflections - all of the January reflections are already available in the blog archive link, and I will see about eventually re-posting reflections from past years as well.  Also, in response to a number of requests for an "early edition" for those in other time zones, the blog posting generally will be at least several hours earlier than the emails.  Thank you for helpful suggestions, feedback, and continual prayers and support!