It is 31st January 2018. We celebrate the memorial of St John Bosco, Priest. The readings are from 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17; and the Gospel from Mark 6:1-6. Entirely relying on human resources for the existence and the development of humanity undermines the providence and the abiding presence of God in our lives. In most occasions, we value God less or over-emphasis the power of humanity. Human self-sufficiency over the need to acknowledge the presence of God angers God. We read in the first reading, David took the census of the people to know and to be assured of his political security and economic empowerment by knowing the number of the persons. The need for God is undermined by the very act of David and seeking to know the power of the military over the mighty presence of God that offered success to David all along. It is type of unbelief expressed by David that angered God. Belief in God comes by our self-surrender without counting our resources. When we overemphasize the human resources and to seek for the human consolation, we wilfully undermining the power of God in our lives. Relying on human means is the expression of unbelief in God. Growing lack of trust in God and in the intervention of God in our lives is the sickness of the soul needs to be treated urgently. It is better to surrender to the Lord daily than to succumb our lives exposed to famine, war and disease by relying on our human reckoning. The responsorial Psalm begs for mercy, “Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.” (Ps.31:5). In the Gospel we reflect the people of Nazareth, who undermined the power of Jesus. They did not believe in Jesus and in His mighty power to heal just because they knew His family of origin. The unbelief expressed in their attitude distanced themselves from the Only Son of God Jesus. The people of the town lacked faith to accept Jesus. Are we relying on ourselves and our perceptions over having a simple and self-surrendering faith in Jesus? May the Lord heal our unbelief and let us lean on God more than ever in our lives not on a human person, or on created things. May you have a good day.