The last sentence of the first reading for mass says, “David grew steadily more powerful, for the Lord of hosts was with him.” The entire reading is about how God called David from an early age to shepherd his people. David also gained the support of the people through his noble deeds as well. How could he go wrong? King David did not rely on his own strength.
David was a simple shepherd boy who listened to God’s will, one day at a time until he became the king of all of Israel. This is what we are called to do as well, listen for God’s will one day at a time. King David did not become a powerful king overnight and he sure didn’t do this alone either. Leaders of any kind are not leaders of their own accord. Other people have to willingly support them and sometimes that is not a bad thing, as the first reading for mass today shows us.
King David was a powerful ruler who ruled his people well for many years, because God’s grace was with him. God’s grace was the unifying force, the powerful glue that held David’s kingdom together and enabled it to grow and multiply.
God’s grace is still the unifying force that holds our church together. There is no other explanation on how the Catholic church could have continued to exist and flourish for over 2,000 years. The Holy Spirit Himself guided the church throughout the centuries, in spite of many persecutions in the past and in the present day as well. The gates of hell shall not prevail against her, because she is strengthened by the grace of God.
That is also why it is important for us to remain in a state of grace as well. We make up the body of Christ. The church is only as strong as we are, individually. Haven’t you ever heard the expression that when one member of the church sins, it hurts the entire body of Christ? But when one member grows in holiness, it builds up the body of Christ? We are only as strong as our individual members, and our members are only strong through God’s grace. Without grace we are weak, and by ourselves, we are weak too. It’s easy to break a single stick, but a bundle of sticks can not be easily broken. Sticks that are still green and alive on a tree is a great deal more difficult to break too, because life flows within it’s branches, helping it to withstand all sorts of trauma. God’s grace works the same way within each one of us as individuals, and collectively as the body of Christ.
Jesus is talking about the same thing in today’s gospel. He tells us that a kingdom or household can not stand if it is divided against itself. The Catholic church in modern times, has become divided on exactly what we believe about many issues such as abortion, divorce and remarriage, gay marriage, women priests, etc. It sends the wrong message to the rest of the world, and to our youth as well, if we can not agree on what we believe. The gospel values are not negotiable. It doesn’t mean we are too strict by adhering to certain kinds of conduct, it simply means that there is such a thing as right, or wrong, if not, then anything will become accepted. Without common beliefs that are accepted by everyone, our house is divided and the christian message is diluted and ineffective.
Satan’s greatest ploy is to cause division. That is how he ties us up and plunders our house. “No one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.” Division destroys families, communities, nations and even threatens Christianity itself. The Catholic church has always encouraged unity though, in marriages and families, in communities, between nations and within the church as well. She has the strength to be counter cultural, because of God’s grace.
The Catholic church has been criticized and persecuted by many cults, religious groups and non-believers, since it’s earliest beginnings. Some have even gone so far as to call our church the whore of Babylon. Jesus said this type of thing can be forgiven, but the Holy Spirit alone guides the Catholic church throughout the ages and we should be wary of speaking of our church in these terms.
No other christian church even existed for over one thousand five hundred years. Satan instigated the first major division within the Catholic church, and these folks have continued to divide into literally thousands of different protestant denominations now, who all contain a ray of the truth, but not the original fullness of the Christian faith.
Divide and conquer is one of Satan’s greatest tactics and it is so easy to do. A far more difficult thing is to let go of self will and work to resolve our differences. Martin Luther would have become a saint if he had remained in the Catholic church and worked to rectify Satan’s influences.
Let us be very careful what we say or even think about our Holy Catholic Church, because the Holy Spirit lives and breathes within her. She is a living organism, the body of Christ. And let us also do our best not to permit others to criticize her in our presence either. There is enough division in the world already. Most of us crave unity with one another through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Daily Mass Readings:
2 Sm 5: 1-7, 10 / Ps 89: 20, 21-22, 25-6 / Mk 3: 22-30
