First Reading 1
1 Samuel 18:6-9;19:1-7
When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13
R. (5b) In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Gospel
Mark 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
REFLECTION
by
One Bread, One Body - Reflection for January 23, 2014
JEALOUSY AND GOD
"Saul was jealous of David." –1 Samuel 18:9
Saul was jealous of David and tried to kill him on several occasions. The brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery because they were jealous of him (Acts 7:9, RNAB). The Jewish leaders in Pisidian Antioch "became very jealous" of St. Paul's powerful preaching and persecuted him (Acts 13:45). The Pharisees handed Jesus over out of jealousy to be crucified (Mt 27:18). The high priests and Sadducees arrested and punished the apostles, for they were "filled with jealousy" (Acts 5:17).
Jealousy in support of a religious leader or ministry is not of God. When some of Moses' loyal followers got upset that others were prophesying in addition to Moses, Moses corrected them, saying, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!" (Nm 11:29) Are you attracted to certain religious leaders or ministries? Beware of any tendency toward jealousy. Pray that your love for that leader or that ministry be full of true charity, for "charity is not jealous" (Catechism, 1825; see 1 Cor 13:4).
Christians who exhibit any jealousy are infants, according to Scripture (1 Cor 3:1-3). Jealousy proceeds from the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:20) and is not compatible with Christian living. Jealousy is a symptom of something very wrong within us. "Where there [is] jealousy...there is also inconstancy and all kinds of vile behavior" (Jas 3:16). "Jealousy rots the bones" (Prv 14:30).
PRAYER: Father, pour out your love in my heart (Rm 5:5). "May charity be the root and foundation of" my life (Eph 3:17).
PROMISE: "My wanderings You have counted; my tears are stored in Your flask; are they not recorded in Your book?" –Ps 56:9
PRAISE: Each year thousands of teenagers give up their time and energy to walk in the March for Life.
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