Dear friends in Christ
Often we can focus on the Gospel of the Mass of each Sunday and fail to take cognisance of the First Reading, which is not only thematically linked, but will often contain a most important teaching itself. This is a case in point this Sunday with the story of David's flight from King Saul across the wastelands of Ziph. One night when the King was sleeping in the midst of his men, David crept close to the camp accompanied by Abishai, the most faithful of his friends. They saw Saul sleeping and there was the temptation to assassinate him. There could be no doubt that the death of the King would be the shortest route to freeing David once and for all from all the dangers he faced; it would raise him to the throne. But for the second time David chose the longer path, and preferred to preserve Saul's life. David's behaviour on this and other occasions shows the great soul of the man. His largeness of spirit won for him, first the admiration, and then the friendship, of his greatest enemy, and also of the people. Above all it won him the friendship of God. In the Gospel of Mass Jesus speaks about the virtue of magnanimity: Be merciful as your Father is merciful; give and you will receive, which is closely related to fortitude, and consists in our willingness to undertake great things for God. Saint Thomas calls magnanimity the ornament of all the virtues. The Saints have always been great-souled people, magna anima, showing the largeness of spirit when they undertook great projects for God, then carried them through to completion. In our dealings with others, we see that greatness of spirit is a fruit of our closeness to Jesus Christ. The soul that lives magnanimity—largeness of heart—is always prepared to live the demands of charity, always prepared to endure all things, for the love of God and neighbour.
Next Sunday at 11.30am Mass we shall welcome the Schola Cantorum of The Campion School who will provide the music, under the direction of their Head of Music and our Sub-Organist, James Devor. This is by way of an extra celebration before the relative sobriety of Lent.
May God bless you!
Msgr Kevin hale