21 January 2022 – Homily for Friday of the 2nd week of Ordinary Time - Samuel 24:3-21

      We hear our continuing story from the first book of Samuel for the second week in a row.  Today, we hear about David having the opportunity to kill King Saul, his nemesis, as Saul enters the cave where David is hiding.  Saul is intent on killing David himself when he enters that cave, as he sees David as his rival.  The mercy that David showed Saul when he had the chance to kill him is remarkable, a contrast to the revenge, vengeance, and vitriol we have seen in society in recent years, especially in politics and in the stress and frustration many people have felt during the pandemic.  I saw this in the attitude of the high school students I taught up in the Delta when I was a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  So many in our modern world today would not have the discipline or compassion to show the restraint that David showed in cutting off the end of Saul's garment and then pointing out to Saul that he could have easily killed him.  Even if David had not confronted Saul and had simply allowed him to walk out of the cave unharmed without saying a word, the Lord would have known the reality of the situation. In the end, it is the Lord who judges us, who knows our motives and our desires. It is easy to show kindness to our friends, family members, loved ones, and those who are kind to us, to pray for them, but not so easy toward our enemies, is it?  

       Tomorrow, on January 22, we mark a day that has been declared a day of penance by the Catholic Bishops here in the United States in recognition of the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case from 1973 that legalized abortion in our country.  This year has shown some advances in our efforts to protect the unborn, with laws passed to restrict abortion from the states of Mississippi and Texas that have been presented to the US Supreme Court.  We continue to pray for the Gospel of Life, which covers many issues, including the protection of the unborn.  May we use God's mercy and love to be a witness for life in our world as we advocate and to stand up for God's laws and commandments.