When you read up on the passages given for the mass celebration of Friday, 4th Week in Ordinary Times, of this month (February), we come across two men who have wielded great influence over their subjects or people's life but from opposing values between them.
One, David, though not a perfect human being, was always concerned about his relationship with God. He may not always got things right in his life as king of Israel but David understood acutely that God sees the heart. David understood that evil cannot be hidden from God. David chose ruthless honesty when he evaluates himself and begs God’s forgiveness for his wrongdoings and sins.
The other, Herod (Antipas), never understood what evil was in his life and allowed it to swallow him, through the many ruthless atrocities and engagements with people whom he labeled as enemies or threats. On one occasion, not wanting to lose face in front of his guests, he had a prophet beheaded.
We can learnt quite a lot from these two men. They can help us come to terms with what kind of life do we want. Is it a life that allows us to engage in the rubrics of happiness or is it that which oppresses us in the cycle of never ending rubrics of suspicion?
Today, more than ever, we need to come to terms with our own brokenness and like David, throw ourselves in God's embrace of healing love, so that all our fears can be cast away. We must learnt to allow God's grace to help us fight fear with faith and to actively use goodness and truth to overcome the temptation to compromise with wrongdoing and falsehood.
"... choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24: 15)
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