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From: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29

David’s prayer

[18] Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far? [19] And yet this was a small thing in thy eyes, O Lord God; thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast shown me future generations, O Lord God!

[24] And thou didst establish for thyself thy people Israel to be thy people for ever; and thou, O Lord, didst become their God. [25] And now, O Lord God, confirm for ever the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, and do as thou hast spoken; [26] and thy name will be magnified for ever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of thy servant David will be established before thee. [27] For thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made this revelation to thy servant, saying, “I will build you a house’; therefore thy servant has found courage to pray this prayer to thee. [28] And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words are true, and thou hast promised this good thing to thy servant; [29] now therefore may it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken, and with thy blessing shall the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.”

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Commentary:

7:18-29. David’s prayer in response to the prophecy is a song of praise that follows the three main points of the prophecy: the divine election of David himself (vv. 18-21), the election of the people as people of God (vv. 22-24), and the consolidation of the Davidic dynasty (vv. 25-29). In this prayer David identifies himself with his line, and therefore the blessings which have come on him extend to the whole house of David (vv. 28-29). “David is par excellence the king ‘after God’s own heart’, the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer of the people. His prayer, the prayer of God’s Anointed, is a faithful adherence to the divine promise (2 Sam 7:18-29) and expresses a loving and joyful trust in God, the only King and Lord.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2579).

From: Mark 4:21-25

Parables of the Lamp and the Measure

[21] And He (Jesus) said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? [22] For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. [23] If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” [24] And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. [25] For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

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Commentary:

21. A “bushel” was a container used for measuring cereals and vegetables. It held a little over eight liters (two gallons).

22. This parable contains a double teaching. Firstly, it says that Christ’s doctrine should not be kept hidden; rather, it must be preached throughout the whole world. We find the same idea elsewhere in the Gospels: “what you hear whispered, proclaim it upon the house-tops” (Matthew 10:27); “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole of creation...” (Mark 16:15). The other teaching is that the Kingdom which Christ proclaims has such ability to penetrate all hearts that, at the end of time, when Jesus comes again, not a single human action, in favor or against Christ, will not become public and manifest.

24-25. Our Lord never gets tired of asking the Apostles, the seed which will produce the Church, to listen carefully to the teaching He is giving: they are receiving a treasure for which they will be held to account. “To him who has will more be given...”: he who responds to grace will be given more grace and will yield more and more fruit; but he who does not will become more and more impoverished (cf. Matthew 25:14-30). Therefore, there is no limit to the development of the theological virtues: “If you say `Enough,’ you are already dead” (St. Augustine, “Sermon 51”). A soul who wants to make progress in the interior life will pray along these lines: “Lord, may I have due measure in everything, except in Love” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 247).