2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 / Mark 6:1-6
If we had listened and reflected on the 1st reading, we might have asked this question : what is the problem with doing a census of the population?
That is a logical thing to do so as to know the size of the population and especially the size of the army.
Yet it was David himself who called for the census; it was a form of pride.
Already in his time, Israel was the most powerful nation in the region.
In counting the people, and especially the army, David wanted to show-off his might to other nations.
But he forgot he was counting God's people, and God's people is not about numbers but rather their faith and trust in Him.
In a way, we could also see in the gospel how the people of Jesus home town "counted" Jesus and He fell short of their opinions, and hence they did not accept His wisdom and abilities.
We too should not just count our blessings but also give thanks and praise the Lord at all times.
With grateful and thankful hearts, we will not be thinking about what we have done for the Lord but rather what the Lord has done for us.