But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” – 2 Samuel 16:10

       One message that we share in seminars is simple but empowering. Follow the instructions as you read this: Point your finger to the ceiling. At the count of three, point to the one person in the whole world that you have complete control of. If you’re like most people, you’d be pointing to yourself.

     You have no control over your parents, siblings, spouse, partner, officemates, housemates, or friends. What they do is their decision. What you do is yours. When we understand this, we can start to focus on what we can do about a situation.

       When King David was cursed by Shimei, he chose to search for the good in the situation: “Perhaps the Lord will look  upon my affliction and repay me with good for the curses he is uttering this day.”

       Now it’s your turn to choose. Think of the person who criticizes or judges you. Reflect on how this person made you aware of what you can do to improve your situation. Consider the action you have in mind, its impact on all involved, and its long- and short-term effects. Now choose to act. Edwin Soriano (edwin@winningcoaching.net)

Reflect: “If you learn self-control, you can master anything.” (Anonymous)

Lord, give me the wisdom to know what is under my control and what’s under Yours. I lift up to You all that I do and cannot do. Amen.

Servant of God Brother Juniper, pray for us.

Can violence in defense of a kingdom ever be justified? The Church has a “just war” doctrine with an outline of requirements. One of these is that no civilians shall be harmed or killed. This is impossible today with the existence of weapons for mass destruction. We have a right to defend ourselves but within proportionate means. The destruction of a city, people, or nation in the name of justice is never acceptable.

13 An informant came to David with the report, “The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.” 14 At this, David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem: “Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us, then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.” 30 As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. All those who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went. 16:5 As David was approaching Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera of the same clan as Saul’s family, was coming out of the place, cursing as he came. 6 He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers, even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard, were on David’s right and on his left. 7 Shimei was saying as he cursed: “Away, away, you murderous and wicked man! 8 The Lord has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul, in whose stead you became king, and the Lord has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom. And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.” 9 Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.” 10 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 to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’ ” 11 Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants: “If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this Benjaminite do so! Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day.” 13 David and his men continued on the road, while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.

R: Lord, rise up and save me.

1 [2] O Lord, how many are my adversaries! Many rise up against me! 2 [3] Many are saying of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.” (R) 3 [4] But you, O Lord, are my shield; my glory, you lift up my head! 4 [5] When I call out to the Lord, he answers me from his holy mountain. (R) 5 [6] When I lie down in sleep, I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. 6 [7] I fear not the myriads of people arrayed against me on every side. (R)

The world is our battlefield. Let us take spiritual battle seriously because there are different powers at work in and around us. If we do not, we become easy targets of the devil’s lies and temptations. With the Gospel truth as our weapon, let us stand up to the enemy and fight for our faith and our souls.

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

1 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. 2 When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. 3 The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. 4 In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. 6 Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, 7 crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I  adjure you by God, do not torment me!” 8 (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) 9 He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” 10 And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. 11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. 12 And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” 13 And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. 14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 15 As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. 16 Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. 17 Then they began to beg him to leave their district. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. 19 But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” 20 Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had donefor him; and all were amazed.

Read the Bible in one year Genesis 1-3

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

‘WHAT’S IN YOUR MIND?’

Last year, a friend started a personal survey in Metro Manila to test the veracity of the many claims he had read on social media about the best crispy pata in town. He isn’t finished yet with his survey, but what he did was interesting. Too often we are bombarded with claims of being the best in anything and everything, but how true are these surveys? Advertising has conditioned our minds into buying or patronizing products and services that we don’t really need or could even be harmful to our health.

       Our readings today speak about “what’s in your mind” things. In the First Reading, David and his men were fleeing his murderous son Absalom when they rested in the territory of his predecessor King Saul. A relative of the former king recognized David and began cursing him, throwing stones at him. David prevented his men from harming or stopping that man because he explained that it could have been God who directed that man to say those things against him. In the Gospel, note how St. Mark had inserted in parentheses what was in the mind of Jesus upon seeing a possessed man in Gerasenes: “Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!’ (He had been saying to him, ‘Unclean spirit, come out of the man!’) He asked him…” (Mark 5:6-9, NAB).

       Look at the power of Jesus Christ that, from afar, He could already sense trouble. He had already read the mind of the possessed man because “he had been saying to him, ‘Unclean spirit, come out of the man!’” St. Mark placed that sentence in parentheses to show how Jesus right away, in His mind, was exorcising the man. Clearly, our well-being is always in His mind. In the case of David who was then going through the most severe test in his life and in his faith, what was in his mind was God who could be using other people, even enemies, in transmitting messages to him. Fr. Nick Lalog

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

When we meet someone, what is in our minds? What is in our minds when we are confronted by a negative situation? Do we think of God, of what good can be derived from a negative situation?

Lord Jesus Christ, clear our minds and fill us with Your power and holiness. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________