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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 29 January 2024 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Mark 5:1-20
On this final week of January as we approach in two weeks the Season of Lent, you teach us today, dear Father with many lessons about "facing" evil; at first, I felt evil is always "confronted", something we always fight head on but from the two readings today, your words tell me O Lord there are times we just have to stand firm against evil without necessarily fighting it out right away but not condoning it either.
But the king replied: ”What business is it of mine or of yours, sons of Zeruiah, that he curses? Suppose the Lord has told him to curse David; who then will dare say to, ‘Why are you doing this’” Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants: ”If my own son, who came forth from loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this Benjaminite to do! Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and mae it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day.”
2 Samuel 16:10-12
Give me, O God, the same patience of David to accept the evils happening to me as I am guilty of so many evils too; like David, let me be mindful always of my own evil ways and sins that definitely will haunt me, will chase me, and will charge me later in recompense for my own sins too. There are times, Lord, that I must accept how I deserve some evil to befall me as a result of my own sinfulness like David.
If ever the evils that come to me are undeserved, keep my cool and patience, as well as goodwill like Jesus Christ your Son and our Lord; after healing the Gerasenes demoniac, he was driven out from the town by the people; many times, people do not understand anything at all when evils befall us and others; maintain my peace within me, Lord, that I may not react against my accusers like you especially when they all get it wrong; let me tower over everyone else with firm faith in you, dignity in silence, and clear conscience when people wrongly accuse me of deeds I am not guilty of for you alone is my salvation. Amen.
