Liturgical Readings for : Friday, 19th January, 2024
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
FIRST READING
A reading from the first book of Samuel 24:3-21
I will not raise my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of the Lord
Saul took three thousand men chosen from the whole of Israel and went in search of David and his men east of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds along the route where there was a cave, and went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave; David’s men said to him,
‘Today is the day of which The Lord said to you,
“I will deliver your enemy into your power, do what you like with him”‘.
David stood up and, unobserved, cut off the border of Saul’s cloak. Afterwards David reproached himself for having cut off the border of Saul’s cloak. He said to his men,
‘The Lord preserve me from doing such a thing to my lord and raising my hand against him, for he is the anointed of The Lord’.
David gave his men strict instructions, forbidding them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way. |
After this, David too left the cave and called after Saul, ‘My lord king!’
Saul looked behind him and David bowed to the ground and did homage.
Then David said to Saul,
‘Why do you listen to the men who say to you, “David means to harm you”? Why, your own eyes have seen today how The Lord put you in my power in the cave and how I refused to kill you, but spared you. “I will not raise my hand against my lord,” I said “for he is the anointed of The Lord.” O my father, see, look at the border of your cloak in my hand. Since I cut off the border of your cloak, yet did not kill you, you must acknowledge frankly that there is neither malice nor treason in my mind. I have not offended against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life. May The Lord be judge between me and you, and may The Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be laid on you. (As the old proverb says: Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand will not be laid on you.) On whose trail has the king of Israel set out? On whose trail are you in hot pursuit? On the trail of a dead dog! On the trail of a single flea! May The Lord be the judge and decide between me and you; may he take up my cause and defend it and give judgement for me, freeing me from your power.’
When David had finished saying these words to Saul, Saul said,
‘Is that your voice, my son David?’ And Saul wept aloud. ‘You are a more upright man than I,‘ he said to David ‘for you have repaid me with good while I have repaid you with evil. Today you have crowned your goodness toward me since The Lord had put me in your power yet you did not kill me. When a man comes on his enemy, does he let him go unmolested? May the Lord reward you for the goodness you have shown me today.
Now I know you will indeed reign and that the sovereignty in Israel will be secure in your hands.’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 56
Response Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
1. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by. Response
2. I call to God the Most High, to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me and shame those who assail me.
May God send his truth and his love. Response
3. O God, arise above the heavens; may your glory shine on earth
for your love reaches to the heavens and your truth to the skies. Response
Gospel Acclamation 2 Thess 2: 14
Alleluia, alleluia!
Through the Good News God called us to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Or 2 Cor 5: 19
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 3: 13-19
He summoned those he wanted to be his companions.
Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils.
And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
******************************************
Gospel Reflection Friday, Second Week in Ordinary Time Mark 3:13-19
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus appoints twelve of his disciples to be his companions and to be sent out to preach and to heal. Firstly, they are to be Jesus’ companions; they are to spend time with him; they are to enter into a personal relationship with him. Only then can they be sent out to share in his work of preaching and healing. We are all called to share in the Lord’s work today in some way or another. We are to proclaim his presence by our words and his deeds. However, this sharing in the Lord’s work can only flow from our personal relationship with him. Like the twelve in today’s gospel reading, we need to be with the Lord before he can send us out in his name. The Lord is always with us, but we need to be with him. The Lord befriends us, but we need to receive the gift of his friendship and befriend him in return. It is above all prayer which nurtures our personal relationship with the Lord. In prayer we attend to the Lord’s presence, we become present to his presence to us, we become his companions. In opening ourselves to the Lord’s presence, we are empowered to live as he lived, to love as he loved. That will often mean loving even those who do not love us, just as in the first reading David is portrayed as showing goodness and kindness to Saul who wanted to kill David. The Lord needs us to be the agents of his unconditional love in the world, but if that is to happen we need the Lord. We first need to be present to him and to open ourselves to his empowering presence.
________________________________
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd
