Reading I
1 Sm 24:3-21
Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel
and went in search of David and his men
in the direction of the wild goat crags.
When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave,
which he entered to relieve himself.
David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.
David’s servants said to him,
“This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
‘I will deliver your enemy into your grasp;
do with him as you see fit.’”
So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s mantle.
Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off
an end of Saul’s mantle.
He said to his men,
“The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him,
for he is the LORD’s anointed.”
With these words David restrained his men
and would not permit them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul,
“My lord the king!”
When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul:
“Why do you listen to those who say,
‘David is trying to harm you’?
You see for yourself today that the Lord just now delivered you
into my grasp in the cave.
I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead.
I decided, ‘I will not raise a hand against my lord,
for he is the LORD’s anointed and a father to me.’
Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold.
Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you,
see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion.
I have done you no wrong,
though you are hunting me down to take my life.
The LORD will judge between me and you,
and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case.
I shall not touch you.
The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’
So I will take no action against you.
Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel?
Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea!
The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.
May he see this, and take my part,
and grant me justice beyond your reach!”
When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered,
“Is that your voice, my son David?”
And Saul wept aloud.
Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.
And now, I know that you shall surely be king
and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession.”
Gospel
Mk 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Meditation: 1 Samuel 24:3-21
David missed a golden opportunity. He had the chance to kill Saul, the king who was hunting him.
Yet he couldn’t do it. He even told Saul about it and repeated his belief that Saul was the “Lord’s anointed.” He went so far as to tell Saul how he had been like a father to him (1 Samuel 24:11). When Saul heard these words, he wept in gratitude and humility. Saul sensed that God would generously reward David for his decision—in fact, David would become the king of Israel.
Think about God’s generosity with us. Instead of allowing us to die in sin, he sent his Son to become our atoning sacrifice. Just as David spared Saul, so our heavenly Father has spared us. But God has gone even further. Not only has he saved us from sin, he has given us a share of his own divine life!
Thirty-seven years ago today, the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision that made legalized abortion possible. What a contrast to the generosity that David showed! The strong are supposed to protect the weak, not destroy them. They are supposed to care for the vulnerable, not dispose of them.
How can we mirror David’s—and God’s—generosity in a way that helps build a culture of life? We can be generous with our possessions by donating to pregnancy crisis centers and to groups that provide for the needs of newborn babies. We can be generous with our time by volunteering to staff such organizations, by supporting a single woman who is having a difficult time raising her child, and by writing to our legislators and urging them to defend life. We can be generous in our prayer lives, focusing on the needs of the poor and rejected rather than on our own needs and wants.
We can also be generous with our mercy. Instead of harshly judging those who advocate for abortion—and even those who have had an abortion—we should be just as forgiving and respectful toward them as David was toward Saul. Of course we should never change our position. But we can still speak calmly, respectfully, and passionately as we seek to change hearts and minds.
“Jesus, fill me with passion for your people, especially those who are weak and defenseless. Help me to serve them generously in whatever ways you call me.”
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