19 Jan 2010, Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I
1 Sm 16:1-13

The LORD said to Samuel:
“How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
But Samuel replied:
“How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.”
To this the LORD answered:
“Take a heifer along and say,
‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”

Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
“Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
He replied:
“Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.”
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
“The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There–anoint him, for this is he!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.

Gospel
Mk 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.

That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Meditation: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Jesse couldn’t imagine his youngest son being of any interest to Samuel.


His expectations for David were so low that he didn’t even call him into the feast or present him to the prophet Samuel. Instead, he kept him out in the field with the sheep! But David was the one God had chosen to use for his glory. He was the one destined to play an irreplaceable part in his plan for his people.

It shouldn’t be so surprising to us. It’s easy to judge by outward appearances. A neatly dressed, smiling, intelligent-looking teen might inspire more confidence than the one with a sullen look, sagging jeans, and a torn sweatshirt, or dyed hair. But of course the Lord could work through either one of them!

And it’s not only appearances. We often look at someone’s past behavior and conclude that they will only continue down the same path, especially if they seem to be going the wrong way. But while we doubt that they can make any change, history tells us otherwise. The world is full of examples of God lifting people up and putting their feet on the right path. We have only to look at St. Paul or St. Augustine as classic examples!

God knows what is in everyone’s heart. He is not one to be fooled by appearances or first impressions. We, on the other hand, are prone to underestimate what God is able to do, especially with those closest to us. Will your son or daughter do great things for the kingdom of God? You never know! What about that neighbor down the street who never seems to smile? Or even more to the point, you may look at yourself and see nothing but shortcomings. But that’s not how God sees you—or anyone else. Ever the optimist, he sees the limitless possibilities in every soul. Why? Because he’s the One who created us. And he created us in his own image and likeness!

Let God surprise you. Don’t prejudge yourself or anyone else. Don’t let low expectations keep you from all that God has in store! He wants great things for you and from you, so take the first step in faith!

“Lord, you have great plans for each of us. Open my eyes to see all that you can do in this world through the least likely of people.”