St. Hilary, bishop  & doctor

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

１Samuel 4:11   

 At that time

Samuel was a prophet of Israelites went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer while the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines then drew up in battle formation.

They attacked Israel and after a fierce fighting, Israel was defeated, leaving about four thousand men dead on the battlefield. When the troops retreated to their camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has Yahweh allowed us to be defeated by the Philistines?

Let us take the Ark of God from Shiloh and bring it here so that Yahweh may be with us and save us from our enemies.” So the people sent messengers to Shiloh to take the Ark of Yahweh who is seated on the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Ark.

As soon as the Ark of Yahweh entered the camp, camp, the Israelites began to cheer so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines heard the shouting and asked,”What does this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?”And they were told that the Ark of Yahweh had been brought to the camp.

The Philistines were overcome with fear. They exclaimed, “A god has come into the camp. Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can save us from the power of these mighty gods?

These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues – and in the desert. Take courage and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews in the same way they have been slaves to you. Be manly and fight.”

So the Pilistines fought and Israel was defeated. Everyone fled to his home. It was a disastrous defeat; thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel were killed. The Ark of God was captured and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

 

Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and beg­ged him, “If you so will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean.

 As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest and for the cleansing bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way you will make your declaration.”

 However, as soon as the man went out, he began spread­­ing the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from every­­where.

 

Messianic Truth

Jesus commands the healed man to keep the event a secret. Curiously, he does not impose this Messianic Secret when he is outside Israel territory; nor does he order silence anymore after the manifestation at the Transfiguration.

Perhaps this is because the Jews had a long-standing culturally conditioned expectation of a warrior-type Messiah. They were not ready for the truth that would destabilize and disorient them.

The truth should mature within the holy privacy of individual hearts until the time is ready for its communal birth, which may still be destabilizing ,but for better than for worse.

Thus, Jesus first reveals himself to the disciples and to some chosen individuals before he publicly decares himself to be the One .He would do so publicly ,much closer towards the nd of his earthly ministry What Truth of God is most destabilizing for you and way?

 

St. Hilary, bishop  & doctor

Hilary was born at Poitiers either at the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century A.D

According to Jerome, Hilary died in Poitiers in 367

Pope Pius IX formally recognized him as Universae Ecclesiae Doctor in 1851.