2 Samuel 6: 12b-15, 17-19 “…Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the LORD with abandon, as he and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn.…”
Psalm 24: 7, 8, 9, 10 “…Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!...”
Mark 3: 31-35 “…’Who are my mother and my brothers?’…”
St. Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622), known as the gentleman saint and for his many writings, patron of the Catholic Press. His father, a lawyer wanted his son to grow up and follow in his footsteps, but Francis came home with his law degree and told his father he wanted to become a priest. His father was not happy, but Francis had such a gentlemanly approach that his father eventually gave his consent. Frances went on to become Bishop of Geneva, and along with his administrative duties, he continued to preach and hear confessions. Called to become saints, his writings encouraged others to follow this path. See the Saints of the Day website for more.
In our first reading today, we come to a scene of great rejoicing. David is in a procession of people, dancing with them, as they bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, called the City of David. There is a lot that we could relate to our world today with this reading, but I chose to focus on the joy and the admiration David is showing God, and I found myself thinking about how I express my love to God. It is much more subdued than the energy expressed in today’s reading with dancing, music and procession. The closest thing I could compare today’s scene to in our modern day is the procession carrying Christ in the Eucharist in a large monstrance on the Feast of Corpus Christi. Omaha has a procession that travels about a mile and a half between two parishes; this year the feast is in early June. I have for 2 years wanted to attend this celebration, but backed off when I didn’t think I’d know any people there. So, I can thank King David for renewing my interest to participate in this more energetic expression of love for the Lord. I wonder if we have dancing in our procession here? I’ll have to find out. May we follow David’s honest expression and lose our inhibition in expressing our love for the Lord.
The second reading ties easily into our relationship with God, as Jesus tells the people he is sitting with that they are his mother, and his brother (or sister), for they are striving to do the will of God. I am reminded the more I sit with the Lord, the more I will know I am doing God’s will. So, as is sometimes pointed out, there is nothing really very ordinary about these times. May God continue to bless us, as we strive to spread God’s Kingdom.