I will enter God's marvelous dwelling place

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary time, our church invites us to reflect on a passage from the second book of Samuel (6: 1-23) entitled “The ark of the covenant is brought to Jerusalem”. Our treasure is from a sermon by Saint Jerome, priest.

The books of Samuel describe the rise and development of kingship in Israel. Samuel is a pivotal figure. He bridges the gap between the period of the Judges and the monarchy, and guides Israel’s transition to kingship.

Each section of these books focuses on a major figure in the development of the monarchy: Samuel, the reluctant king maker (1 Sm 1–12); Saul, the king whom the Lord rejects (1 Sm 13–31); David, the king after the Lord’s own heart (2 Sm 1–24). A common theme unites these narratives: Israel’s God acts justly, prospering those who remain faithful and destroying those who reject his ways (1 Sm 2:9). Along with the rest of the Deuteronomistic History, the Books of Samuel become an object lesson for biblical Israel as it tries to re-establish its religious identity after the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of its homeland (587/586 B.C.).

Saint Jerome was born at Stridon in Dalmatia around the year 340. He studied the classical authors at Rome, and was baptized there. He embraced a life of a statism, and went to the East where he was ordained a priest. Returning to Rome, he became a secretary to Pope Damascus. At Rome, he began to translate the holy scriptures into Latin and to promote the monastic life. Eventually he settled in Bethlehem where he served the needs of the Church. He wrote many works, especially commentaries on holy Scripture. He died at Bethlehem in 420.

Psalm 41 points out the blessed life doesn’t come apart from caring for the weak(Psalm 41:1). But as it stands, David does not feel blessed. He's crippled with sickness and surrounded by enemies just waiting for him to die (Psalm 41:3, 5). In this psalm, David is the weak one who needs God's blessing and healing.