CCC Cross Reference:
2 Sm 7:18-29 2579; 2 Sam 7:28 215, 2465
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Reading 1
2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29
After Nathan had spoken to King David,
the king went in and sat before the Lord and said,
“Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my house,
that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord God;
you have also spoken of the house of your servant
for a long time to come:
this too you have shown to man, Lord God!
“You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever,
and you, Lord, have become their God.
And now, Lord God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
concerning your servant and his house,
and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
‘The Lord of hosts is God of Israel,’
and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, Lord of hosts, God of Israel,
who said in a revelation to your servant,
‘I will build a house for you.’
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord God, you are God and your words are truth;
you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
that it may be before you forever;
for you, Lord God, have promised,
and by your blessing the house of your servant
shall be blessed forever.”
Responsorial Psalm
132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
R. (Lk 1:32b) The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
Lord, remember David
and all his anxious care;
How he swore an oath to the Lord,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
The Lord swore an oath to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“If your sons keep my covenant,
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
For the Lord has chosen Zion,
he prefers her for his dwelling:
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her I will dwell, for I prefer her.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
Gospel
Mk 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading 2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29
After Nathan had spoken to him, King David went in and, seated before the Lord, said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, O Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future. You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God.
‘Now, O Lord, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, “The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, “I will build you a House”; hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. Yes, Lord, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 131(132):1-5,11-14
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
O Lord, remember David
and all the many hardships he endured,
the oath he swore to the Lord,
his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘I will not enter the house where I live
nor go to the bed where I rest.
I will give no sleep to my eyes,
to my eyelids I will give no slumber
till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
‘A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
‘This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
Gospel Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible (Gospel Only)
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
From: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29
David's prayer
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[18] Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far? [19] And yet this was a small thing in thy eyes, O Lord God; thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast shown me future generations, O Lord God!
[24] And thou didst establish for thyself thy people Israel to be thy people for ever; and thou, O Lord, didst become their God. [25] And now, O Lord God, confirm for ever the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, and do as thou hast spoken; [26] and thy name will be magnified for ever, saying, 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of thy servant David will be established before thee. [27] For thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made this revelation to thy servant, saying, "I will build you a house'; therefore thy servant has found courage to pray this prayer to thee. [28] And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words are true, and thou hast promised this good thing to thy servant; [29] now therefore may it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken, and with thy blessing shall the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."
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Commentary:
7:18-29. David's prayer in response to the prophecy is a song of praise that follows the three main points of the prophecy: the divine election of David himself (vv. 18-21), the election of the people as people of God (vv. 22-24), and the consolidation of the Davidic dynasty (vv. 25-29). In this prayer David identifies himself with his line, and therefore the blessings which have come on him extend to the whole house of David (vv. 28-29). "David is par excellence the king 'after God's own heart', the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer of the people. His prayer, the prayer of God's Anointed, is a faithful adherence to the divine promise (2 Sam 7:18-29) and expresses a loving and joyful trust in God, the only King and Lord." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2579).
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From: Mark 4:21-25
Parables of the Lamp and the Measure
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[21] And He (Jesus) said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? [22] For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. [23] If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." [24] And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. [25] For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
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Commentary:
21. A "bushel" was a container used for measuring cereals and vegetables. It held a little over eight liters (two gallons).
22. This parable contains a double teaching. Firstly, it says that Christ's doctrine should not be kept hidden; rather, it must be preached throughout the whole world. We find the same idea elsewhere in the Gospels: "what you hear whispered, proclaim it upon the house-tops" (Matthew 10:27); "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole of creation..." (Mark 16:15). The other teaching is that the Kingdom which Christ proclaims has such ability to penetrate all hearts that, at the end of time, when Jesus comes again, not a single human action, in favor or against Christ, will not become public and manifest.
24-25. Our Lord never gets tired of asking the Apostles, the seed which will produce the Church, to listen carefully to the teaching He is giving: they are receiving a treasure for which they will be held to account. "To him who has will more be given...": he who responds to grace will be given more grace and will yield more and more fruit; but he who does not will become more and more impoverished (cf. Matthew 25:14-30). Therefore, there is no limit to the development of the theological virtues: "If you say 'Enough,' you are already dead" (St. Augustine, "Sermon 51"). A soul who wants to make progress in the interior life will pray along these lines: "Lord, may I have due measure in everything, except in Love" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 247).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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