When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” – Mark 3:21

       My dad and I love sports: basketball, football, tennis, running — you name it. And, boy, was he competitive.

      When I was young, it was rare that he would let me win, whether it was shooting hoops or just playing video games. That really piqued me. After all, he was bigger and stronger than me. But he didn’t care. I thought he was crazy for picking on a boy like me.

       But looking back now, I realize I learned a lot from that. Not giving up, working hard to win, giving your all — those are just a few of the life lessons I learned. That’s the good that came out of what Dad did to me back then.

       Sometimes we think God is crazy too, that He’s out of His mind. We complain, we rant, we ask Him, “Why?” We can’t comprehend. We can’t understand. Why is He this way?

       But I guess we just have to trust Him because we’d probably learn a lot too. And that would definitely be a good thing. Paolo Galia (pgalia@gmail.com)

Reflect: What situations in your life do you need to trust God more?

Dear Lord, help me to trust You more. Even if I don’t understand, I believe that You want only the best for me. I believe in You. Amen.

Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, martyrs, pray for us.

David mourns the death of King Saul and his best friend Jonathan. In his heart, there is no malice or retribution – only the pain of loss. David ends his dispute with Saul and moves on with his life. When we confront those who have wronged us, let us remember that revenge belongs to the Lord and our only task is to forgive.

1 David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage. 3 David asked him, “Where do you come from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel.” 4 “Tell me what happened,” David bade him. He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle and that many of them had fallen and were dead, among them Saul and his son Jonathan. 11 David seized his garments and rent them, and all the men who were with him did likewise. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the Lord of the clans of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 19 “Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen! 23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! 24 Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold. 25 “How can the warriors have fallen — in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights! 26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother! Most dear have you been to me; more precious have I held love for you than love for women. 27 How can the warriors have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!”

R: Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

2 O shepherd of Israel, hearken, O guide of the flock of Joseph! From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth 3 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Rouse your power, and come to save us. (R) 5 O Lord of hosts, how long will you burn with anger while your people pray? 6 You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in ample measure. 7 You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. (R)

Jesus must have faced many different responses to what He preached. Sadly, many, including His family members, did not understand His mission. We will experience the same as we follow Jesus. Some will welcome what we have to share while others won’t. What do we do? Let us confidently proclaim the Good News and let it transform us.

Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.

20 Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. 21 When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”  

think: Have you shared the Good News with your family? How did they react to your sharing? Who is receptive? Who is skeptical? Pray that all families will openly receive God’s Word.

Read the Bible in one year Matthew 13-15

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM

A US-based observer of Philippine affairs noted how majority of the comments in social media regarding politics use argumentum ad hominem. It is a fallacy in reasoning wherein instead of focusing on the issue at hand, it is the person who is attacked, even maligned. Call it character assassination or simply gossip, it is the lowest kind of argument as reason is beyond the capacity of the people who use it. The late former US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said that people with small brains talk about people, those with average brains talk about events, but people with big brains discuss ideas.

       Jesus was also a victim of character assassination even up to His death. Our very short Gospel today says the family and relatives of Jesus came to seize Him, saying, “He is out of his mind”(Mark 3:20). According to biblical scholars, this verse is sometimes translated as “because it was told them (relatives)” that He was out of His mind. It was not really the relatives of Jesus who said He was out of His mind but some of the people there employed argumentum ad hominem, claiming Jesus was out of His mind and later possessed by the devil.

       Jesus never fought back at His enemies for their false accusations. On many occasions, He simply threw back to His detractors their accusations against Him that left them silent and trapped in their own words. Remember that the more we talk of others, the more we talk of ourselves. When people malign you, they are actually the ones guilty of their accusations against you. They do not realize that in their efforts to discredit you, the more they reveal their ugly selves.

       Yesterday we talked about the “Jesus Christ factor” and today we see the other side of this reality. The more we follow Jesus, the more detractors we attract; the more we are maligned, the more Jesus blesses us, for He said, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me”(Matthew 5:11, NIV). Fr. Nick Lalog

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

Have you been maligned for doing something good? How did you deal with it?

Lord Jesus Christ, You are Wisdom Yourself. When people are getting unreasonable with all their false and nasty talks against me, teach me to be patient and persevere in doing what is right and just. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________________________