Wednesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time

1st book of Samuel

David spoke to Saul: "Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine."
But Saul answered David, "You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth."
David continued: "The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine." Saul answered David, "Go! the LORD will be with you."
Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's bag. With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.
With his shield-bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, he held him in contempt.
The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?" Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, "Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."
David answered him: "You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD'S, and he shall deliver you into our hands."
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground.
(Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.)
Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine's own sword (which he drew from its sheath) he dispatched him and cut off his head.

Psalms

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us."
Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

St. Anthony the Abbot((251-356))

SAINT ANTONY Patriarch of Monks (251-356) St. Antony was born in Upper Egypt in 251 A.D. Hearing at Mass, "If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor," he donated all his wealth. He then besought an aged hermit to teach him the spiritual life. He also visited various solitaries, emulating the principal virtues of each. To better serve God, Antony entered the desert and immured himself in a ruin. While he gave his life and prayers in faith, fallen angels tempted and assailed him. They sometimes appeared as various monsters and even wounded him, but his courage never flagged. He overcame them by the sign of the cross: for prayer is most pleasing to God when faith remains in spite of darkness and desolation. One night, while Antony was in solitude, many demons assailed him. A friend found him; and believing him dead, carried him home. However, Antony came to himself, and returned to his solitude. There, prostrate from weakness, Antony defied the demons, saying, "I fear you not; you cannot separate me from the love of Christ." After more vain assaults, the devils fled, and Christ appeared to Antony in glory. Antony's only food was bread and water, which he never tasted before sunset. Sometimes, he ate only once in two, three or four days. He wore sackcloth and sheepskin, and often knelt in prayer from sunset to sunrise. Many souls flocked to Antony for advice; and after twenty years of solitude, he consented to guide them in holiness. Hence he founded the first monastery. Antony's numerous miracles attracted such multitudes that he fled again into solitude, where he lived through manual labor. St. Antony passed away in the peace of the Holy Family. St. Athanasius, his biographer, says that knowing how he lived, prayed and mortified his senses (or custody of the eyes and appetites) is a guide to virtue.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2024 / Catholic Missal of january 2024