Daily Readings - Fri Jan 19 2018

First Reading - 1 Samuel 24.2-21

²Therefore, Saul, taking three thousand elect men from all of Israel, traveled in order to search for David and his men, even upon the most broken rocks, which are passable only to mountain goats³And he arrived at the sheepfolds, which presented themselves along the way. And a cave was in that place, which Saul entered, so that he might ease his bowels. But David and his men were hiding in the interior part of the cave⁴And the servants of David said to him: "Behold the day, about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will deliver your enemy to you, so that you may do to him as it will be pleasing in your eyes.’ " Then David rose up, and he quietly cut off the edge of Saul’s cloak⁵After this, his own heart struck David, because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s cloak⁶And he said to his men: "May the Lord be gracious to me, lest I do this thing to my lord, the Christ of the Lord, so that I lay my hand upon him. For he is the Christ of the Lord.⁷And David restrained his men with his words, and he would not permit them to rise up against Saul. And so Saul, going out of the cave, continued to undertake his journey⁸Then David also rose up after him. And departing from the cave, he cried out behind the back of Saul, saying: "My lord, the king!" And Saul looked behind him. And David, bowing himself face down to the ground, reverenced⁹And he said to Saul: "Why do you listen to the words of men who say: ‘David seeks evil against you?¹⁰Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord has delivered you into my hand, in the cave. And I thought that I might kill you. But my eye has spared you. For I said: I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Christ of the Lord¹¹Moreover, see and know, O my father, the edge of your cloak in my hand. For though I cut off the top of your cloak, I was not willing to extend my hand against you. Turn your soul and see that there is no evil in my hand, nor any iniquity or sin against you. Yet you lie in wait for my life, so that you may take it away¹²May the Lord judge between me and you. And may the Lord vindicate me from you. But my hand will not be against you¹³So too, it is said in the ancient proverb, ‘From the impious, impiety will go forth.’ Therefore, my hand will not be upon you.¹⁴Whom are you pursuing, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? You are pursuing a dead dog, a single flea¹⁵May the Lord be the judge, and may he judge between me and you. And may he see and judge my case, and rescue me from your hand.¹⁶And when David had completed speaking words in this way to Saul, Saul said, "Could this be your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice, and he wept¹⁷And he said to David: "You are more just than I am. For you have distributed good to me, but I have repaid evil to you¹⁸And you have revealed this day the good that you have done for me: how the Lord delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me¹⁹For who, when he will have found his enemy, will release him along a good path? So may the Lord repay you for this good turn, because you have acted on my behalf this day²⁰And now I know certainly that you shall be king, and you shall have the kingdom of Israel in your hand²¹Swear to me in the Lord that you will not take away my offspring after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father.

Gospel - Mark 3.13-19

Mark

Chapter 3

¹³And ascending onto a mountain, he called to himself those whom he willed, and they came to him¹⁴And he acted so that the twelve would be with him, and so that he might send them out to preach¹⁵And he gave them authority to cure infirmities, and to cast out demons¹⁶and he imposed on Simon the name Peter¹⁷and also he imposed on James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, the name ‘Boanerges,’ that is, ‘Sons of Thunder;¹⁸and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that guide us in our spiritual journey. The first reading from 1 Samuel 24:2-21 tells the story of David, who, despite having the perfect opportunity to kill Saul, his persecutor, chooses mercy. David's actions reveal his deep trust in God's plan and his respect for Saul's divine anointing. This episode underscores the theme of mercy and trust in divine providence. The Gospel reading, Mark 3:13-19, shifts our focus to Jesus, who gathers His twelve apostles, empowering them to spread His message and heal. This passage highlights the importance of community and collaboration in fulfilling God's mission. Jesus' selection of the apostles demonstrates His trust in them and His desire to work through a united group to bring His message to the world. Both readings connect through the theme of trust in God's plan and the value of community. David's mercy and Jesus' establishment of the apostles illustrate how trusting in God leads to meaningful action. David trusted God to handle Saul, while Jesus trusted His disciples to carry on His work. This teaches us to trust in God's timing and to work together in our spiritual journeys. In our daily lives, these lessons encourage us to embrace mercy and trust. When faced with challenges, we can choose to act with compassion, just as David did. Additionally, recognizing the strength in community, we should support one another in our shared mission to live out our faith. The moral and spiritual reflection here is clear: trust in God's plan, show mercy, and value the power of community. Let us strive to embody these virtues, trusting that God will guide us and that together, we can achieve great things for His glory.