Reading 1
1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
“Let your majesty not lose courage.
I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.”
But Saul answered David,
“You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,
for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David continued:
“The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,
will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.”
Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi
and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag.
With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.
With his shield bearer marching before him,
the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.
The Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”
Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, “Come here to me,
and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him:
“You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand;
I will strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will leave your corpse
and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves.
For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters,
while David ran quickly toward the battle line
in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling,
and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone embedded itself in his brow,
and he fell prostrate on the ground.
Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone;
he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.
Then David ran and stood over him;
with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath
he dispatched him and cut off his head.
Responsorial Psalm PS 144:1b, 2, 9-10
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My refuge and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Alleluia See Mt 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 3:1-6
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
THE ODD COUPLE
"When the Pharisees went outside, they immediately began to plot with the Herodians how they might destroy [Jesus]." –Mark 3:6
What on earth were the Pharisees doing working together with the Herodians? The Herodians were supporters of King Herod and his policies. Herod was likely more concerned with currying the favor of Rome than of observing the laws and traditions of his Jewish roots. The Pharisees were Jews committed to following the Jewish laws. Jesus commented on the outstanding holiness of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20). The Herodians had compromised their Jewish faith and lifestyle; the Pharisees were known for their uncompromising devotion to God.
Two groups that might seem to have little in common found something to bring them together: their opposition to Jesus (Mk 3:6; see also Mt 22:15-16). Herod himself and Pontius Pilate, "who had previously been set against each other" (Lk 23:12), became friends once they had mocked and insulted Jesus.
Who do you think is the last person or group on earth that you would ever be associated with? Is there a group with a cause that makes you nauseous? If you "fall away from your sincere and complete devotion to Christ" (2 Cor 11:3), you might soon find yourself preferring to work with that group in opposing Jesus. This prefigures hell itself. Those in hell have chosen to spend eternity with hateful demons rather than be associated with Jesus. "Be on your guard" (Mk 13:5). Choose Jesus.
| PRAYER: | Lord Jesus, keep me faithful to Your teaching and never let me be parted from You. |
| PROMISE: | "His hand was perfectly restored." –Mk 3:5 |
| PRAISE: | Pope St. Fabian united laity and clergy and was an example of holiness to both. |
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