Christ should be made manifest in our whole life

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, our church invites us to continue to reflect on passages from the first book of Samuel. Today’s passage (17: 57---18: 9, 20-30) is entitled “Saul jealousy of David”. Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise on Christian Perfection by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop.

The books of Samuel describe the rise and development of kingship in Israel. Samuel is a pivotal figure. He bridges the gap between the period of the Judges and the monarchy, and guides Israel’s transition to kingship.

Each section of these books focuses on a major figure in the development of the monarchy: Samuel, the reluctant king maker (1 Sm 1–12); Saul, the king whom the Lord rejects (1 Sm 13–31); David, the king after the Lord’s own heart (2 Sm 1–24). A common theme unites these narratives: Israel’s God acts justly, prospering those who remain faithful and destroying those who reject his ways (1 Sm 2:9). Along with the rest of the Deuteronomistic History, the Books of Samuel become an object lesson for biblical Israel as it tries to re-establish its religious identity after the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of its homeland (587/586 B.C.).

Saint Gregory of Nyssa was a fourth century archbishop of Constantinople and theologian. He is numbered among the Doctors of the Church . He was a contemporary and close friend of Saint Basil the Great. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. He was classically trained orator and philosopher.