Daily Readings - Tue Jan 21 2020
1 Samuel
1And the Lord said to Samuel: "How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.2And Samuel said: "How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death." And the Lord said: "You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.3And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.4Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, "Is your arrival peaceful?5And he said: "It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice." Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice6And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, "Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?7And the Lord said to Samuel: "You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.8And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one.9Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, "And the Lord has not chosen this one.10And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these.11And Samuel said to Jesse, "Could the sons now be completed?" But he responded, "There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse: "Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.12Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, "Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.13Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah
Mark
23And again, while the Lord was walking through the ripe grain on the Sabbath, his disciples, as they advanced, began to separate the ears of grains24But the Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbaths?25And he said to them: "Have you never read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, both he and those who were with him26How he went into the house of God, under the high priest Abiathar, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and how he gave it to those who were with him?27And he said to them: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath28And so, the Son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on God’s wisdom, human limitations, and the importance of discernment. The first reading from 1 Samuel reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. When Samuel is sent to anoint a new king from Jesse’s household, he is tempted to judge by appearances, favoring the tall and strong. Yet, God repeatedly tells him, “Do not look at his appearance… for I see not as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” This story teaches us that true leadership and worth are not measured by external qualities but by the depth of one’s heart and faithfulness to God. Jesse’s youngest son, David, though overlooked by human standards, is chosen because God sees his potential and purity of heart.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a similar theme of challenging human assumptions. Jesus and his disciples are criticized by the Pharisees for picking grain on the Sabbath, an act considered unlawful. Jesus responds by referencing David, who, in a time of need, ate the bread of the Presence reserved for priests. He then declares, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” and asserts his authority over the Sabbath. This story reminds us that religious practices, while important, must serve the needs of people rather than become ends in themselves. Like David, we are called to trust in God’s providence and to act with compassion, even when it challenges conventional norms.
These readings encourage us to cultivate humility and trust in God’s plan. Like Samuel, we must learn to look beyond appearances and trust in God’s wisdom. Like Jesus, we must remember that our faith is not about rigid rules but about serving others with love and compassion. May we, like David, allow God to see the depths of our hearts and may we, like Jesus, live with the freedom and courage to do what is right, even when it challenges the status quo.