Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 23, 2026
First Reading: 1 Samuel 24.2-20
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 hand
Psalm 57
1Unto the end. May you not destroy. Of David, with the inscription of a title, when he fled from Saul into a cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me. For my soul trusts in you. And I will hope in the shadow of your wings, until iniquity passes away2I will cry out to God Most High, to God who has been kind to me3He sent from heaven and freed me. He has surrendered into disgrace those who trampled me. God has sent his mercy and his truth4And he has rescued my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men: their teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword5Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and your glory above all the earth6They prepared a snare for my feet, and they bowed down my soul. They dug a pit before my face, yet they have fallen into it7My heart is prepared, O God, my heart is prepared. I will sing, and I will compose a psalm8Rise up, my glory. Rise up, psaltery and harp. I will arise in early morning9I will confess to you, O Lord, among the peoples. I will compose a psalm to you among the nations10For your mercy has been magnified, even to the heavens, and your truth, even to the clouds11Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and your glory above all the earth
Gospel: Mark 3.13-19
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 our first reading, we witness David’s profound restraint and respect for God’s anointed, even as King Saul relentlessly hunts him. When Saul, unbeknownst to him, enters the very cave where David and his men are hiding, David has a clear opportunity to end his persecution. His men even urge him to act, seeing it as God's deliverance. Yet, David refuses to lay a hand on Saul, contenting himself with cutting a piece from Saul's cloak as proof of his forbearance. He understands that Saul, though deeply flawed and unjust, remains God's chosen king. This act of mercy and trust in divine justice deeply moves Saul, who recognizes David's superior righteousness and acknowledges his destiny as king. Meanwhile, our Gospel from Mark presents Jesus calling his first apostles, inviting specific individuals to join him on a mountain. He chooses twelve, not only to be with him, but to be sent out with authority to preach, heal, and cast out demons, thus establishing the foundation of his Church.
These readings, separated by centuries, both speak to the nature of calling and the exercise of authority and mercy. David, though divinely anointed to succeed Saul, refuses to seize power through violence, trusting in God's timing and demonstrating a radical respect for the Lord’s anointed, even an unworthy one. He acts with integrity, offering mercy rather than vengeance. Similarly, Jesus calls his disciples, not randomly, but those whom he wills, bestowing upon them a sacred authority to carry on his mission. This mission, as exemplified by Christ himself and prefigured by David’s actions, is one of healing, preaching, and ultimately, love and forgiveness, even in the face of betrayal, as the mention of Judas Iscariot subtly reminds us. Both passages highlight a divine plan unfolding, not through human ambition or violence, but through a holy calling and a commitment to righteous action.
In our own lives, we are often faced with choices that test our integrity and our faith in God’s justice. Do we react with vengeance or anger when wronged, or do we, like David, show mercy and trust that God will vindicate us in His time? We are all called, through our baptism, to be disciples of Christ, to be "sent out" into our daily lives to bear witness to His love and truth. This means exercising the authority of Christ within us to choose forgiveness over resentment, understanding over judgment, and reconciliation over division. Just as Jesus carefully chose and empowered His apostles, so too does He empower us through grace to live lives of integrity and compassion, reflecting His mercy to a world often quick to condemn and slow to forgive. Let us strive to respond to our calling with the same humble courage and merciful spirit that David showed, and the receptive obedience of the first apostles.