24 Jan
The Cockroach
There is a tragic story entitled Metamorphosis, by the celebrated Czechoslovakian writer Franz Kafka. It is about an unmarried man, Gregor, who lives with his parents and sister. Gregor works as a clerk in a store. As a good salesman, he tries to project a pleasant image to his customers, but he is a deeply unhappy man. He suffers much from an overpowering boss and an unsympathetic family – both treating him like an insect.
Eventually he begins to have nightmares about his insect-like life. One morning he wakes up to discover that his nightmares have become a reality: he has been transformed into an insect – a giant cockroach!
Just as fairy tales go, Gregor can become human again only if he is loved and nurtured by humans, particularly members of his family. However, since his appearance is revolting, this does not happen.
Gregor makes several pathetic efforts to express himself to his family, to appeal to them to show some affection, all in vain.
Ultimately, he simply gives up and dies, remaining a cockroach until the end.
- What thoughts, feelings, occurred to you while you went through the story?
- What do you think is the ‘moral’ of the story?
- taken from “Persons Are Gifts”, by Hedwig Lewis, SJ
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1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on his account; your servant will go and fight this Philistine.” But Saul answered, “You cannot go and fight the Philistine; you are only a boy and he has been a warrior from his youth.” The Lord who rescued me from the claws of lion and bear,” David said, “will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
He took his staff on his hand, picked five smooth stones from the river bed, put them in his shepherd’s bag, in his pouch, and with his sling in his hand he went to meet the Philistine. The Philistine, his shield-bearer in front of him, came nearer and nearer to David; and the Philistine looked at David, and what he saw filled him with scorn, because David was only a youth, a boy of fresh complexion and pleasant bearing. The Philistine said to him, “Am I a dog for you to come against me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come over hear and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” But David answered the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the god of the armies of Israel that you have dared to insult. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I shall kill you; I will cut off your head, and this very day I will give your dead body and the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord gives the victory, for he is lord of the battle and he will deliver you into our power.”
No sooner had the Philistine started forward to confront David than David left the line of battle and ran to meet the Philistine. Putting his hand in his bag, he took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead; the stone penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone and struck the Philistine down and killed him. David had no sword in his hand. Then David ran and, standing over the Philistine, seized his sword and drew it from the scabbard, and with this he killed him, cutting off his head. The Philistines saw that their champion was dead and took to flight.
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Mark 3:1-6
Jesus went into a synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him to see if he would cure him on the sabbath day, hoping for something to use against him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up out in the middle!” Then he said to them, “Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?” But they said nothing. Then, grieved to find them so obstinate, he looked angrily round at them, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was better. The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him.
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What gave David the confidence to go up against Goliath? Are we to assume that David was simply a brave fool who would go out in front of a warrior trained from his youth? After all, the only experience David has had in fighting battles was against wild beasts when he was a shepherd. Are we to call David courageous or a fool? Do you think David was afraid when he went up against Goliath?
I believe so. I believe David certainly was afraid, but certainly not a fool. To fear when facing a being larger than ourselves is a normal reaction. But David recognised that fear was but a feeling. Wise people recognise this and act in spite of the feeling; fools let fear prevent them from acting. And act, David did.
However, David acted in faith despite the fear. What was his faith based on? An abstract idea of God? A loose definition of God, since David himself never studied philosophy or theology? No. David’s faith was based on experience. He had personally experienced the saving power of God in his life before, and that is why he knew that God would continue to protect him in the face of Goliath. David acted on faith in the Lord, and he came up triumphant over Goliath who acted on faith in his own strength.
In contrast to this battle between David and Goliath, we see in the gospel reading another battle taking place. Jesus invited the Pharisees to respond to his question, but the Pharisees, being fearful of Jesus – possibly afraid of being humiliated in public – did not act. They let their fear, for whatever reason, prevent them from acting there and then. We know that the Pharisees certainly did fear Jesus, which is why they plotted to eliminate him.
Let us remember, my friends, that fear is only a feeling and that if we have past experience on which our faith is based, let us act on that faith, in spite of the fear, to stand up and receive the challenge that God is calling us to today.
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Prayer:
Dear Lord, we pray for the courage to act on faith in You where there is need of justice, and not let fear prevent us from acting. Amen.
Give Thanks to the Lord for: Those who act for what is right and just, in spite of their fear.
Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 24 Jan – 1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7; Mark 3:7-12; Memorial for St. Francis de Sales, bishop, doctor of the Church
Fri, 25 Jan – Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Mark 16:15-18; Feast of the Conversion of Paul, apostle
Sat, 26 Jan – 2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Timothy 1:1-5; Luke 10:1-9; Memorial for Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops
Sun, 27 Jan – Isaiah 8:23 – 9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-23; Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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