Yield A Harvest Through Perseverance

Yield A Harvest Through Perseverance

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Piety

Piazzale Michelangelo, 2008

With his every deed, he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. With his whole being, he loved his Maker and daily had his praises sung; He set singers before the altar and by their voices he made sweet melodies,

He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year So that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak, the sanctuary would resound.  Sirach 47:8-10b

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance. Luke 8:15[i]

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Mark 6:14-16

Study

Talk about a study in contrasts of two “kings.” That is what we get between the first reading and the Gospel.  In between, today’s Gospel acclamation describes King David’s legacy reasonably well.  King Herod.  NOT.

Biblical stories and classical art idealize David.  On a visit to Florence some years ago, our first stop was at the Academia to see the iconic statue of David -- the perfect marble statue Michaelangelo carved.  Just like Ben Sira presents us with an idealized portrait of David in words, Michaelangelo did so in stone. David, “[w]ith his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise.”  He was the “good seed” that fell on fertile soil and grew up with a kind and generous heart.[ii]

Was David the ideal king?  Not hardly.  We forget the rocky path he traveled. As king, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, leading him to arrange the death of her husband.  God punishes David for these sins.  David then faces the rebellion by his son, Absalom, and has to flee Jerusalem for safety.  After Absalom dies, David returns to rule Israel. Despite these flaws, prophetic literature and Psalms portray David as the ideal king and the forefather of the future Messiah.

Palazzo Vecchio (2008)

A few verses after today's selected reading, Ben Sira reminds us of God’s ultimate mercy, love, and generosity after he recounts the legacy of David:

“…God does not withdraw his mercy, nor permit even one of his promises to fail. He does not uproot the posterity of the chosen, nor destroy the offspring of his friends. So he gave to Jacob a remnant, to David a root from his own family.” (22)

Then along comes Herod.  I would not want my stone statue placed next to David’s any more than I would like an episode of my life juxtaposed with the young king’s apparent perfection. 

Talk about the bad seed! Herod falls on rocky soil, and weeds choked him -- weeds like his adulterous wife and her daughter.  First, the bad king failed to understand John the Baptist’s message of repentance and change.  Then through a combination of hubris and showboating, Herod is backed into a corner and must execute the Baptist to save face.  Then, when he hears about Jesus, Herod does not grasp the true identity. 

Who do YOU say that I am?  Through the cloud of his own failed moral choices, Herod confuses Jesus with John the Baptist.  

Action

Stories about David and Peter remind us that even the saintly are just like us.  They fall. They fail. However, as the song goes, the saints are just the sinners who fall down…AND GET UP.

Think of a time when you failed in a small way or a big way.  Take inspiration from the reminder in the First Reading:  “…God does not withdraw his mercy, nor permit even one of his promises to fail. He does not uproot the posterity of the chosen, nor destroy the offspring of his friends. So he gave to Jacob a remnant, to David a root from his own family.” (22)

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[i] (But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.)

[ii] Touring through the city, one can visit several “practice Davids” carved by Michaelangelo before his pièce de résistance.”  David has stood on display at Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873. In addition to the full-sized replica occupying the spot of the original in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, a bronze version overlooks Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo.