The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that when we are called to challenge giant problems we are strengthened by our faith to participate in a Providential outcome.
In the Reading from the First Book of Samuel, David Challenges Goliath and claims Victory.
* [17:12–31] Here the final editor begins an alternative account of David’s encounter with the Philistine hero, which continues in vv. 50–51 and concludes in 17:55–18:5.
* [17:41–47] The two combatants trade theological taunts. God uses the most unlikely opponent to destroy Goliath. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 144 is a promise of future thanksgiving for God to show forth saving power.
* [Psalm 144] The Psalm may reflect a ceremony in which the king, as leader of the army, asked God’s help (Ps 144:1–8). In Ps 144:9 the poem shifts abruptly from pleading to thanksgiving, and (except for Ps 144:11) shifts again to prayer for the people. The first section (Ps 144:1–2) is a prayer of thanks for victory; the second (Ps 144:3–7a), a humble acknowledgment of human nothingness and a supplication that God show forth saving power; the third (Ps 144:9–11), a promise of future thanksgiving; the fourth (Ps 144:12–15), a wish for prosperity and peace. A prayer for deliverance from treacherous foes serves as a refrain after the second and third sections (Ps 144:7b–8, 11). Except for its final section, the Psalm is made up almost entirely of verses from other Psalms. (Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals a Man with a Withered Hand on the Sabbath.
* [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; cf. Jn 5:17–18.
* [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 (Mk 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. (Mark, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
Jane Stein comments that it is God who equips us, often quietly and interiorly, for the struggles we face. Whether those “battles” are against fear, injustice, illness, or our own self-doubt, the faith-filled heart takes refuge in the Rock who never fails.
The responsorial psalm beautifully echoes this confidence: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle.” It is God who equips us, often quietly and interiorly, for the struggles we face. Whether those “battles” are against fear, injustice, illness, or our own self-doubt, the faith-filled heart takes refuge in the Rock who never fails.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus faces a different kind of confrontation, not with a warrior, but with hardened hearts. When he heals the man with the withered hand on the sabbath, his act of compassion exposes the hypocrisy of those who value legalism over love. Jesus’ question pierces through self-righteous silence: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil?” His courage, like David’s, comes from fidelity to the Father’s mission. Both David and Jesus act in the name of God’s truth, even when surrounded by opposition. (Stein, 2026)
Don Schwager quotes “The tender compassion of the Lord,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.
"Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, 'Come here.' Then he challenged the Pharisees as to whether it would be lawful to do good on the sabbath. Note the tender compassion of the Lord when he deliberately brought the man with the withered hand right into their presence (Luke 6:8). He hoped that the mere sight of the misfortune might soften them, that they might become a little less spiteful by seeing the affliction, and perhaps out of sorrow mend their own ways. But they remained callous and unfeeling. They preferred to do harm to the name of Christ than to see this poor man made whole. They betrayed their wickedness not only by their hostility to Christ, but also by their doing so with such contentiousness that they treated with disdain his mercies to others." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 40.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 asks how often do we think that relying on God means being passive, and therefore neglect the work that he calls us to do? On the other hand, how often do we rely on our own strength, doing the “work of the Lord” but neglecting the “Lord of the work”?
It’s a challenging combination. We need to humble ourselves and recognize that we are weak without the Lord. But we also need to believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need to learn the art of being still and knowing that he is God, and we also need to learn how to step out of the boat and onto the surging waters of life.
What Goliath are you facing right now? How can you step out in faith, trusting in God’s power as you fling your stone?
“Jesus, I embrace the victory you have given me on the cross. I place my confidence in your power and in the talents you have given me.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from 1 Samuel gives the account of David and Goliath. David trusts in the Providence of the Lard and defeats the Philistine, cutting off his head. In 2 Samuel 21:19 we hear a different story that Elhanan, son of Jair from Bethlehem, killed Goliath of Gath. Was this story transformed to make David a hero? (Dr Kaspars Ozolins
Assistant Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary offers an explanation) In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is in the synagogue on the Sabbath and asks “Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath” . The Pharisees oppose Jesus and they are dedicated laymen taking the Law too seriously, being too scrupulous building a fence around the Law and missing the point of the Sabbath. Friar Jude reminds us that resting in the Lord to do good deeds on Sunday was supported by Pope Saint John Paul II in a pastoral letter.
Father Richard Rohr introduces Author Mirabai Starr who describes how the histories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been shaped by people who were brave enough to listen to and obey God’s call.
The history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam abounds with accounts of great beings who trembled when they were confronted with the presence of the Divine and given a task of global dimensions. Traditionally, this reluctance is implied, rather than stated, yet when we read the scriptures with an open heart, we can feel the anguish behind the submission.
Responding to God’s call always comes at a cost:
It is said that the Divine does not choose the wealthy and powerful to be prophets. [God] picks farmers and illiterate caravan drivers, orphans and poor Jewish virgins. [God] favors the ones who stand up…, talk back…, the ones who challenge the divine directive. When the angel of the Lord told the matriarch Sarah that she was going to become the mother of many nations, Sarah laughed. She was long past the age of childbearing, and the patriarch Abraham was even older. When her son was born the following year, they named him Isaac, which means “laughter.”…
“The prophets of Israel,” Karen Armstrong writes in A History of God, “experienced their God as a physical pain that wrenched their every limb and filled them with pain and elation.” Adrienne von Speyr says that the prophets are “inconsolable.” It is easy to see why they might have been reluctant to answer the call. (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the battle between David and Goliath and contemplate how we implore the Spirit to prepare us to step up in faith when challenged as disciples of Christ.
References
Mark, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3?1
Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/21/1484326/
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/17?32
Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Listening for a Sacred Call. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Is It Lawful... to Save Life or to Kill? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
Stein, J. (2026, January 21). Daily Reflection January 21, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-21-2026
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