First reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Jesse’s youngest son David is anointed king
The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you go on mourning over Saul when I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel replied, ‘How can I go? When Saul hears of it he will kill me.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and then I myself will tell you what you must do; you must anoint to me the one I point out to you.’
Samuel did what the Lord ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling to meet him and asked, ‘Seer, have you come with good intentions towards us?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed one stands there before him’, but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes.’ Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. As for Samuel, he rose and went to Ramah.
Responsorial Psalm 88(89):20-22,27-28
I have found David, my servant.
Of old you spoke in a vision.
To your friends the prophets you said:
‘I have set the crown on a warrior,
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found David, my servant.
‘I have found David my servant
and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him
and my arm shall make him strong.
I have found David, my servant.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
And I will make him my first-born,
the highest of the kings of the earth.’
I have found David, my servant.
Gospel Mark 2:23-28
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath
One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’
And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’
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The law of love
Jesus loves by always seeking what is good for people. In today’s gospel, the Pharisees noticed that Jesus’ disciples, due to their hunger, were plucking ears of corn on a Sabbath day. According to their interpretation of the Sabbath law, this action of reaping was a form of work forbidden on the Sabbath. For Jesus, the Sabbath law was not a burden placed by God on the people or to tie them with a list of rules and
regulations. Thus, Jesus defended His disciples by recalling the actions of David and his followers who ate the loaves offered to the priests in order to satisfy their hunger. By saying this, Jesus placed the need to satisfy one’s hunger as an essential priority than observing the interpretation of the Sabbath law.
regulations. Thus, Jesus defended His disciples by recalling the actions of David and his followers who ate the loaves offered to the priests in order to satisfy their hunger. By saying this, Jesus placed the need to satisfy one’s hunger as an essential priority than observing the interpretation of the Sabbath law.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”. Today, as Christians, Jesus invites us to follow the law of love by placing the person and his/her needs as the top priority. Therefore, we need to follow Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, and be at the service of people’s basic needs and promote the flourishing of human lives. Let us let go of our legalistic ways and learn to love, like Jesus.
Question for reflection:
Do I love others by working for their good?
Do I love others by working for their good?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr. Sandra Seow FMVD.
