Reading 1 2 Sm 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27
David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites
and spent two days in Ziklag.
On the third day a man came from Saul's camp,
with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.
David asked him, "Where do you come from?"
He replied, "I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel."
"Tell me what happened," David bade him.
He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle
and that many of them had fallen and were dead,
among them Saul and his son Jonathan.
David seized his garments and rent them,
and all the men who were with him did likewise.
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening
for Saul and his son Jonathan,
and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel,
because they had fallen by the sword.
"Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul,
slain upon your heights;
how can the warriors have fallen!
"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished,
separated neither in life nor in death,
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions!
Women of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and in finery,
who decked your attire with ornaments of gold.
"How can the warriors have fallen?
in the thick of the battle,
slain upon your heights!
"I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother!
most dear have you been to me;
more precious have I held love for you than love for women.
"How can the warriors have fallen,
the weapons of war have perished!"
Responsorial Psalm Ps 80:2-3, 5-7
R. (4b) Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
O guide of the flock of Joseph!
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O LORD of hosts, how long will you burn with anger
while your people pray?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in ample measure.
You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
Gospel Mk 3:20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Meditation: 1 Samuel 24:3-21
“The Lord will exact justice from you in my case. I shall not touch you.” (1 Samuel 24:13)
Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge that ends in tragedy. In seeking to avenge his father’s murder, Prince Hamlet ends up causing the death of just about the entire court of Denmark—including himself.
In today’s first reading, David shows a better way. David is being hunted down by Saul, who is jealous of the young man’s success and wants to kill him. David has the perfect chance to kill Saul when Saul enters a cave where David is hiding. But David doesn’t—he decides to leave justice in God’s hands.
Can we trust God with our need to see justice done? The answer is a resounding “yes.” God is justice. For the sake of justice, he sent his Son to die for our sins. He didn’t want death for us; he wanted life! That’s the justice—and the mercy—of God!
Our heavenly Father knows that revenge hurts the person who seeks it more than the person who is targeted. Revenge is always coupled with bitterness and resentment—an infection that can overtake us and lead us away from God. Remember that on Judgment Day, we will have to give God an account of our actions, even those intended to hurt someone else, no matter how “just” it seemed at the time.
We may not want to see people killed, but we may well want to steal their happiness so that they can somehow “pay” for their injustice to us. And so we may give our spouse the silent treatment, or we may start a rumor about a co-worker, or we may refuse to help a neighbor in need. Whatever the situation, revenge is never the solution; it only causes more suffering and injustice.
How differently things would turn out if we could catch ourselves when we are hurt and turn to the Lord for healing and comfort! How much easier it would be to surrender the matter into God’s hands, as David did. Then we can be assured that he will see justice done—in his time and in his way!
“Father, even in small ways, I don’t want to ‘get back’ at someone who has hurt me. Instead, I turn to you. Heal my hurting heart, and give me the grace to trust in your justice and mercy.”
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