The Pharisees’ attempt to accuse Jesus once caught healing on the Sabatth

January 20, 2016

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Saint of the Day: Saint Sebastian, Martyr (c. 257-c. 288)

Reading 1

1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51

32David spoke to Saul: “Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.” 33But 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.” 

37David 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.”

40Then, 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.

41With his shield bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David. 42When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, the Philistine held David in contempt.

43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”

Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods 44and 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.”

45David 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. 46Today 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.

47All 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.”

48The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. 

49David 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.

50Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword. 51Then 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.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 144:1b, 2, 9-10

R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

1bBlessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

2My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, My shield, in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

9O God, I will sing a new song to you; with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise, 10You who give victory to kings, and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia see Matthew 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom

and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 3;1-6

1Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand.[1]

2They watched Jesus closely to see if He would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse Him.

3He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” 4Then He said to the Pharisees, “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.

5Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

6The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put Him to death.[2]

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Notes on Readings:

[1] Mark 3:1-5 - Here Jesus is again depicted in conflict with His adversaries over the question of sabbath-day observance. His opponents were already ill disposed toward Him because they regarded Jesus as a violator of the sabbath. Jesus' question Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil? places the matter in the broader theological context outside the casuistry of the scribes. The answer is obvious. Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the sight of all and reduces His opponents to silence; compare withJohn 5;17-18. 

[2] Mark 3:6 - In reporting the plot of the Pharisees and Herodians to put Jesus to death after this series of conflicts in Galilee, Mark uses a pattern that recurs in his account of later controversies in Jerusalem (⇒ Mark 11:17-18 h(Mark 11:17=18; 12:13-17. The help of the Herodians, supporters of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, is needed to take action against Jesus. Both series of conflicts point to their gravity and to the impending passion of Jesus.