Daily Readings - Tue Jan 16 2024
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on God's perspective and the true purpose of religious practices. In 1 Samuel, we see Samuel being guided by God to anoint David, the youngest and seemingly insignificant son of Jesse. This story teaches us that God looks beyond outward appearances and values the heart. Similarly, in Mark's Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees' strict adherence to Sabbath laws by emphasizing that human needs are paramount. He uses David's example of eating the sacred bread to illustrate that the spirit of the law should take precedence over its letter.
These passages remind us to trust in God's wisdom and discernment. Just as Samuel learned to look beyond appearances, we too should seek to understand God's deeper purposes. Jesus's defense of his disciples highlights the importance of compassion and flexibility in our religious practices. The Sabbath, a day of rest, was created for humanity's benefit, not as a rigid rule to be followed without consideration for human needs.
In our daily lives, these lessons encourage us to embrace humility and trust in God's plan. Let us not judge others by appearances or get entangled in legalistic thinking. Instead, let us focus on the heart, where true wisdom and understanding reside. By doing so, we align ourselves with God's perspective and live in the spirit of the law, prioritizing love and compassion above all else.