3rd Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 23rd January 2024 – 2 Sam 6,12-15.17-19; Mark 3,31-35
Becoming Priest-King
In the first reading, David rejoices as the Ark of the Covenant is brought into the city of Jerusalem. The Ark is the resting place of God among the people of Israel. It had been captured by the Philistines in a battle. One of the first things that David did after he captured the city of Jerusalem and made it his capital was to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the city. David acted as a royal priest and presided over a kingdom ordered to the liturgical worship and praise of God. The first attempt to bring the Ark from Baalah to Jerusalem did not go well (2 Sam 6,1-10). The people tried to transport it on a cart which was not in accord with the Law of Moses (Deut 10,8). The Ark remained in the house of Obed-Edom for three months. In his second attempt, David wins over Jerusalem and moves the Ark to Jerusalem, which is a religious and political centre. As the Ark was brought to Jerusalem, David fully assumed the role of a priest-king. He dressed like a priest in a linen ephod, sacrificed animals, and danced before the Ark of the Lord.
3rd Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 29th January 2019 — Gospel: Mark 3,31-35
