Day 123: The Death of Ish-bosheth

1 Chronicles 6:31-81 The Levitical genealogy is accompanied by lists of cantors, who led the music at liturgical gatherings, and the cities given to the Levites in the various tribal territories. The Levites, because they were a priestly tribe intended to serve the other tribes of Israel, did not receive a territory of their own but were given several cities in each tribe’s region where they could live and prosper.


Ch 6:32 The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies was the central focus of worship in the Temple as a special sign of God’s presence. In Catholic churches, Christ is TRULY present in the Eucharist, which is reserved in the tabernacle. The tabernacle plays an important role in the spiritual life of Catholics; therefore, it is situated in a dignified and prominent location that facilitates public and private worship of the Body of Christ. (CCC 1183)


Psalm 26 The psalmist proclaimed his innocence since he had lived faithfully, trusting in God with virtuous living.


I do not sit...with the wicked: Crucial to overcoming sin is to avoid people, places, and circumstances that are NEAR OCCASIONS OF SIN. Many Acts of Contrition include a petition for help in avoiding near occasions of sin. 


Who is the man...will he instruct: If we stand in awe and adoration of the Lord, we will be attentive to his instruction in the form of moral law and the Commandments.


I wash...your altar: The psalm as a whole seeks God’s recognition of innocence so the psalmist is worthy and in the proper disposition to participate in the Temple liturgy. The celebrant at Mass washes his hands near the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, just after the Offertory, as he echoes this verse of the psalm: 


“Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” (And who says the Catholic Mass isn’t Biblical? 😉)


All of our prayers, particularly prayers of contrition, cannot be mere words but rather must express the sincere disposition of our hearts. (CCC 2700)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)



Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much for your Word. We thank you for just the fact that you have worked in history, and you continue to work in history. Lord God, you have worked with every one of these people and every one of these families and tribes, just like you work with us, every one of us listening to your Word being proclaimed. All of our families, strong and weak. All of our families, whole and broken. All of our families, united and divided. Lord God, you are part of history. You are the God of history. You are the God of eternity. You are the God of OUR history and you lead us and call us into eternity. And so we give you thanks and we give you praise. Please receive our praise today, on this day 123 of listening to your Word, of being shaped by your Word. We thank you and praise you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”