“Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen! Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold. How can the warriors have fallen–in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights! I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother! most dear have you been to me; more precious have I held love for you than love for women. How can the warriors have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!” (2 Sam 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012222.cfm
David’s Lament over Saul and Jonathan expresses the grief the entire human race has experienced from the ravages of war. The Ave Maria today is by British singer, Jonathan Antoine (born 1995) when he was only 15 years old.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saturday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, January 22
