1st book of Samuel 17,32-33.37.40-51.
Then David spoke to Saul: "Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine." But Saul answered David, "You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth." David continued: "The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine." Saul answered David, "Go! the LORD will be with you." Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's bag. With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine. With his shield-bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David. When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, he held him in contempt. The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?" Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods and said to him, "Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field." David answered him: "You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD'S, and he shall deliver you into our hands." The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground. (Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.) Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine's own sword (which he drew from its sheath) he dispatched him and cut off his head.When they saw that their hero was dead, the Philistines took to flight.
Psalms 144,1.2.9-10.
Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war;
My safe guard and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, My shield, in whom I trust, who subdues peoples under me.
O God, a new song I will sing to you; on a ten-stringed lyre I will play for you.
You give victory to kings; you delivered David your servant. From the menacing sword
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3,1-6.
Again he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
THE SPIRIT AND THE GIANT
"I come against you in the name of the Lord." –1 Samuel 17:45
Yesterday was the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion in the USA in 1973. The Church in today's eucharistic readings is reminding us that the Lord is raising up Davids to fight the Goliath of abortion. When Planned Parenthood sees the Davids approaching, they laugh at us, for we are simple people without substantial funding and worldly prestige. However, our strength is not in ourselves or in money but in the Lord, and the Lord will give us victory (1 Sm 17:47).
To claim God's victory over abortion and save babies' lives in the womb, we must attack the giant. We fight abortion not primarily with money, weapons, or even David's slingshot, but with the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit is our Weapon against the ultimate enemy and abortionist, Satan himself (see Eph 6:12; see also Zec 4:6). In the power of the Spirit, we can repent, forgive, evangelize, pray, fast, suffer, and heal. We can set people free from the demons of abortion. We can not only stop abortions but also convert abortionists. We will not kill Goliath but convert him.
We need faith to attack abortion, the most deadly enemy in the history of the human race. By faith we can wield the sword of the Spirit and save the lives of babies in the womb and the eternal lives of abortionists.
Prayer: Father, stir up the Spirit in me (2 Tm 1:6) and give me faith to move the mountain of abortion (see Mt 17:20).
No comments:
Post a Comment