what makes you crazy?
In our first reading today we see David a bit excessive in his regard for ark. He danced in wild abandon, he saw to it that every six steps a sacrifice is made for God.
The ark is the symbol of God’s presence in his people. The ark contains the copy of the law made by Moses. Remember that the original copy of the law made by God himself was thrown by Moses to the people in his anger when he saw them worshipping the golden calf. What is in the ark during the time of David was the copy made and placed there by Moses himself. The ark also contains manna, that miraculous bread that sustained the Israelites in the desert for forty years. The law and the bread in the ark is the symbol of God’s abiding presence in his people.
The ark like the people in Moses’ time resided in a tent specifically made for the it. In the time of David, when the people have already settled in the land and had made for themselves permanent homes to live in, David also desired to build a temple, a permanent home for the ark in the city of David, in Jerusalem. This did not happen however in David’s time but his son’s time, in Solomon who built the first and most beautiful temple. In David’s time however the symbol of God’s presence in his people is the tent. Thus when we say in the angelus and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the more proper translation would have been, the word was made flesh and pitched his tent among us. The other word for tent is tabernacle, the same word we used to refer to the place where we keep the consecrated bread, the place where our Lord Jesus resides. Tabernacle means a tent. The jews in the time of Jesus have the so called feast of Tabernacles to recall the times when they lived in tents. Tabernacle means tent. In the past when we call that a tabernacle we are not exactly referring to the metal container itself but, to the cloth that covers the inside of the metal container, the tabernacle or the tent which contains the real presence of Jesus. This is the meaning of the incarnation - Jesus, or God pitched his tent among us, he lived among us - kon sa bisaya nagpaobra sia balay upod sa aton.
This is what David is so happy about welcoming it in Jerusalem - he is welcoming the very symbol of God’s presence with his people as it entered Jerusalem, as God pitched his tent in the capital City of David - ang Dios nagpaobra balay sa Jerusalem.
As I said David was a bit excessive in his welcome. Kon may camera to sang una kag gin-upload ini sa internet nahimo na ini tani nga scandal, scandal in Jerusalem. David was almost, almost naked and he danced in front of the ark. You see if you characterize David he is one who gave his life to the Lord with abandon. Hugot, bug-os kag lubos, wala hawid-hawid, giving everything to the Lord with abandon. That is how David loved the Lord. David was upset that Goliath was insulting God and was determined to defend God's honor by fighting the giant. David's brothers "grew angry with him," insulting and belittling him, Goliath insulted David as well, but David paid no attention to the personal insults, but abandoned his life for the honor of the name of God.
The procession was excessive. He called up hundreds of people to carry the ark, to join the procession in worship, and to sing praises to God. And David provided a meal for every person in Israel, as he had called the entire nation to the procession. Wala hawid-hawid, he held nothing back when it came to worshipping God. Yet what was his reward - he was "despised" and insulted by his wife, Michal, for lacking in royal dignity when he was worshipping. David however, paid no attention to the insult, and responded by telling her that he would now worship God with abandon "even more.”
These are the characteristics of the saints, loving God with abandon, not minding the insults, not minding what others think, not minding the harm even. To love God with a passion, hugot, bug-os kag lubos, wala hawid-hawid.
Francis de Sales before he became a priest was hounded by the thought that he is dammed to hell. It was a very powerful obsession that it affected his body and he became sick and bedridden. This crisis only ended when he came to believe that whatever God has in store for him it was good because after all God is love. God is love - this thought expelled his doubts, and influenced the rest of his life and his teachings. God is love - this will also be the guiding force the source of passion in the life of St. Francis de Sales. He abandoned his life of riches and comfort and became a religious.
There are in our lives two forces at work in us whose power is so great that they make us crazy, love and greed. People become crazy because of love and some become crazy because of greed. David and Francis de Sales became crazy because of their love and passion for God. The question is what is it that makes you crazy about? What makes you crazy?
The ark is the symbol of God’s presence in his people. The ark contains the copy of the law made by Moses. Remember that the original copy of the law made by God himself was thrown by Moses to the people in his anger when he saw them worshipping the golden calf. What is in the ark during the time of David was the copy made and placed there by Moses himself. The ark also contains manna, that miraculous bread that sustained the Israelites in the desert for forty years. The law and the bread in the ark is the symbol of God’s abiding presence in his people.
The ark like the people in Moses’ time resided in a tent specifically made for the it. In the time of David, when the people have already settled in the land and had made for themselves permanent homes to live in, David also desired to build a temple, a permanent home for the ark in the city of David, in Jerusalem. This did not happen however in David’s time but his son’s time, in Solomon who built the first and most beautiful temple. In David’s time however the symbol of God’s presence in his people is the tent. Thus when we say in the angelus and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the more proper translation would have been, the word was made flesh and pitched his tent among us. The other word for tent is tabernacle, the same word we used to refer to the place where we keep the consecrated bread, the place where our Lord Jesus resides. Tabernacle means a tent. The jews in the time of Jesus have the so called feast of Tabernacles to recall the times when they lived in tents. Tabernacle means tent. In the past when we call that a tabernacle we are not exactly referring to the metal container itself but, to the cloth that covers the inside of the metal container, the tabernacle or the tent which contains the real presence of Jesus. This is the meaning of the incarnation - Jesus, or God pitched his tent among us, he lived among us - kon sa bisaya nagpaobra sia balay upod sa aton.
This is what David is so happy about welcoming it in Jerusalem - he is welcoming the very symbol of God’s presence with his people as it entered Jerusalem, as God pitched his tent in the capital City of David - ang Dios nagpaobra balay sa Jerusalem.
As I said David was a bit excessive in his welcome. Kon may camera to sang una kag gin-upload ini sa internet nahimo na ini tani nga scandal, scandal in Jerusalem. David was almost, almost naked and he danced in front of the ark. You see if you characterize David he is one who gave his life to the Lord with abandon. Hugot, bug-os kag lubos, wala hawid-hawid, giving everything to the Lord with abandon. That is how David loved the Lord. David was upset that Goliath was insulting God and was determined to defend God's honor by fighting the giant. David's brothers "grew angry with him," insulting and belittling him, Goliath insulted David as well, but David paid no attention to the personal insults, but abandoned his life for the honor of the name of God.
The procession was excessive. He called up hundreds of people to carry the ark, to join the procession in worship, and to sing praises to God. And David provided a meal for every person in Israel, as he had called the entire nation to the procession. Wala hawid-hawid, he held nothing back when it came to worshipping God. Yet what was his reward - he was "despised" and insulted by his wife, Michal, for lacking in royal dignity when he was worshipping. David however, paid no attention to the insult, and responded by telling her that he would now worship God with abandon "even more.”
These are the characteristics of the saints, loving God with abandon, not minding the insults, not minding what others think, not minding the harm even. To love God with a passion, hugot, bug-os kag lubos, wala hawid-hawid.
Francis de Sales before he became a priest was hounded by the thought that he is dammed to hell. It was a very powerful obsession that it affected his body and he became sick and bedridden. This crisis only ended when he came to believe that whatever God has in store for him it was good because after all God is love. God is love - this thought expelled his doubts, and influenced the rest of his life and his teachings. God is love - this will also be the guiding force the source of passion in the life of St. Francis de Sales. He abandoned his life of riches and comfort and became a religious.
There are in our lives two forces at work in us whose power is so great that they make us crazy, love and greed. People become crazy because of love and some become crazy because of greed. David and Francis de Sales became crazy because of their love and passion for God. The question is what is it that makes you crazy about? What makes you crazy?
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