Reflection
“Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the Lord with abandon.” (2 Samuel 6:14)
The word that caught my attention in the first reading was “abandon”. What set King David apart from other faithful kings? His complete trust and dependence on God.
The wooden box, the sign of the covenant, accompanied the Israelites on their journey. When the ark was carried into Jerusalem, the celebration spilled out into the streets. King David danced before the Lord with abandon, enraptured by the presence of God. The Beloved dwelt among them. They were home. Each household shared the sacrifice and the joy.
A strong but fatally flawed human character, David’s conquest, lust and heartbreak did not define him. His joy ran deeper. In trusting God, he was free. This was David’s greatness. From his line the Messiah would come. Like the tent in which the ark was placed, the future king would take humble form.
As we focus on the joy and the admiration David showed God, I thought about how I express my love to God. Do I share my love of Christ with reckless abandon? I think our Corpus Christi Procession presents an opportunity like David had, as we carry Christ through the streets of our neighborhood. Does our JOY pour forth from us? We sing with conviction, maybe this year we should dance too. 😊
We find in the Gospel that Jesus tells the people He is with they are His mother and His brother (or sister), for they are striving to do the will of God. Is He denying His relationship with His kin? As odd as Jesus’ response seems to be, He is not trying to belittle Mary or His brothers (cousins, relatives). The answer lies in Jesus’ words, “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
There is something even more than kinship with Jesus. We become family with Jesus by seeking and doing the will of God. Seeking and doing God’s will is what Jesus’ life is all about. I establish a “family” relationship with Jesus by imitating Him in His desire to do God’s will. I become “family” with Jesus – by actually doing God’s will. Mary gives us the greatest example of total surrender to God’s will. She is both family and kinship to our beloved Savior.
Our readings today invite us to trust God with reckless abandon as King David did and to surrender to God’s perfect will like Jesus. In doing so the Holy Spirit will allow us to lose any inhibitions we have as we express with abandon our love for the Lord.