After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies."
Ark of the Covenant One thing so wonderful about Daily Mass scripture readings is that we are able to read Old Testament passages that are seldom heard on regular Sundays. These specially-selected readings often parallel the words and actions of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This week we've been exploring the beautiful stories from the First Book of Samuel. Today the Philistines have been raging battle against Israel. Israel is badly defeated. The elders have a brilliant idea: Bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh onto the battlefield and allow the Lord to battle among them. In a twist of fate, the "ark of the Lord" doesn't do much good for Israel! In fact, the Philistines seeing that "gods" dwell in the camp turn fear into courage exclaiming: So fight manfully! Not only does Israel get defeated again but the ark is captured by the Philistines. How could this be? Why on earth didn't the Lord help Israel defeat the enemy? The ark of the Lord will not only be Israel's God but eventually God over the entire universe! Centuries later Jesus Christ will reign on earth: born from the "new ark of the covenant" - the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Jesus will be captured and put to death on the cross. However, his saving power will change the course of religion. Christianity will develop and flourish.
Spiritual battles We all experience spiritual battles. We may not be in a physical war with the enemy, but emotionally we are fighting our inner selves. We are badly wounded but still think we are "manly" enough to handle circumstances on our own. As if infected with leprosy, we bandage up and hide our sores for fear of being cast away. Secretly, we desire healing but how?
"God made me this way! He must not love me like others because I'm inflicted with so much pain!"
"How can their be a spiritual deity? I'm so unhappy with my life!"
"I don't know if this religious thing is good or not. I just don't feel a God present in my life."
Our spiritual battles can be won with the help of Jesus Christ, Mary and the Saints. They are omnipresent around us, never at rest. Yes, at times they leave us alone to fight our own battles but in an effort to make us stronger and holier. Our Lord never gives us anything we cannot handle! Just like Israel, they lost the battle against the Philistines. However, they never gave up! They eventually captured back the Ark of the Covenant. The ark turned into the temple of Jerusalem. The temple migrated into to individual synagogues . Synagogues later accompanied by churches and monasteries throughout the world. God will become present across the entire universe.
Let us turn to Our Lord when a spiritual battle rages within us through prayer, adoration, and the Sacraments.
Note: I absolutely love the picture chosen for this meditation. What a wonderful representation of Jesus with the ark of the covenant. Art can be just as meditative as words!
-J.
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