Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 18, 2022
First Reading: 1 Samuel 16.1-13
1The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."2But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."4Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"5Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."9Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one."10Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these."11So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."12So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
Psalm 89
1I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.2I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.3You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,4'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'" Selah5The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.6For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.8O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.9You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.12You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.13Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.16They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.17For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.18Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.19Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.20I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.21My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.22No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him.23I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.24My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.25I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.26He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'27I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.28I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.29I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.30"If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,31if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,32I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;33but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.34I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness- and I will not lie to David-36that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;37it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah38But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one.39You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust.40You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.41All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.43You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle.44You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah46How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?47Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!48What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah49O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?50Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,51the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.52Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.
Gospel: Mark 2.23-28
23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments that invite us to reflect on God’s ways and our relationship with Him. The first reading from 1 Samuel tells the story of Samuel being sent to anoint a new king for Israel after Saul’s rejection. Samuel is instructed to go to Jesse’s household, where he encounters several sons, each appearing more regal than the last. Yet, God repeatedly tells Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature… the Lord looks at the heart.” It is only when the youngest son, David, is brought before Samuel that God reveals His choice. This passage reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His judgment is far deeper than our own.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a scene where Jesus and His disciples are criticized by the Pharisees for picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus responds by recalling how David, when he was in need, ate the bread of the Presence, which was reserved for priests. He then declares, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This teaching challenges us to understand the spirit of the law rather than just its letter. Just as God chose the unexpected David to be king, Jesus here emphasizes that true authority comes from God, and His ways often disrupt our expectations.
These readings call us to trust in God’s plan, even when it seems counterintuitive. Like Samuel, we are often tempted to judge by appearances or rely on our own understanding. But God sees what we cannot—the heart. Similarly, like the Pharisees, we may get caught up in rules and traditions, forgetting their purpose. Jesus reminds us that faith is not about rigid observance but about relationship and compassion. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I tempted to rely on my own judgment rather than trusting God’s plan? How can I live in a way that reflects His love and mercy, even when it challenges the status quo?