Stepping Up in Faith

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.

Participation in The Family of God

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 

Affirmed by Resurrection

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today use imagery and a parable to invite our contemplation of fullness of life.

Fullness of Life

In the reading from the Book of Revelation, olive trees and lampstands symbolize the Two Witnesses.

* [11:4] The two olive trees and the two lampstands: the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from Zec 4:8–14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua.

* [11:5–6] These details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Ex 7:17–20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (1 Kgs 18:36–40; 2 Kgs 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kgs 17:1; cf. 18:1).

* [11:7] The beast,from the abyss: the Roman emperor Nero, who symbolizes the forces of evil, or the antichrist (Rev 13:1, 8; 17:8); cf. Dn 7:2–8, 11–12, 19–22 and Introduction.

* [11:8] The great city: this expression is used constantly in Revelation for Babylon, i.e., Rome; cf. Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:2, 10, 21. “Sodom” and “Egypt”: symbols of immorality (cf. Is 1:10) and oppression of God’s people (cf. Ex 1:11–14). Where indeed their Lord was crucified: not the geographical but the symbolic Jerusalem that rejects God and his witnesses, i.e., Rome, called Babylon in Rev 16–18; see note on Rev 17:9 and Introduction.

* [11:9–12] Over the martyrdom (Rev 11:7) of the two witnesses, now called prophets, the ungodly rejoice for three and a half days, a symbolic period of time; see note on Rev 11:2. Afterwards they go in triumph to heaven, as did Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11). (Revelation, n.d.)

Psalm 144 is a Prayer for National Deliverance and Security.

* [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. (Psalm 144, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus addresses the Question about the Resurrection.

* [20:27] Sadducees: see note on Mt 3:7.

* [20:28–33] The Sadducees’ question, based on the law of levirate marriage recorded in Dt 25:5–10, ridicules the idea of the resurrection. Jesus rejects their naive understanding of the resurrection (Lk 20:35–36) and then argues on behalf of the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the written law (Lk 20:37–38) that the Sadducees accept. See also notes on Mt 22:23–33.

* [20:36] Because they are the ones who will rise: literally, “being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20, n.d.)

Jay Carney comments that as we approach the end of the liturgical year, the lectionary is getting darker. This may also fit the mood of our world right now, trapped as we are between a growing environmental crisis, atrocious regional wars, record numbers of displaced migrants and refugees, unprecedented levels of loneliness and depression, and deep political polarization. John’s symbolic “Sodom” and “Egypt” often seem like they are winning, whether in the late first century or the early twenty-first.

The sobering hope of today’s readings is that although death seems to reign supreme in this world, this is not the final chapter in God’s cosmic story of redemption. Resurrection rushes in as God breathes new life into the two prophets of Revelation. Those who attain to the coming age, as Jesus teaches, “can no longer die,” living eternally as children of the God of life. The book of life seems to end in a maelstrom of injustice, violence, and death. But there is a postscript. (Carney, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus cites Moses to affirm the resurrection,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"The Savior also demonstrated the great ignorance of the Sadducees by bringing forward their own leader Moses, who was clearly acquainted with the resurrection of the dead. He set God before us saying in the bush, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob' (Exodus 3:6). Of whom is he God, if, according to their argument, these have ceased to live? He is the God of the living. They certainly will rise when his almighty right hand brings them and all that are on the earth there. For people not to believe that this will happen is worthy perhaps of the ignorance of the Sadducees, but it is altogether unworthy of those who love Christ. We believe in him who says, 'I am the resurrection and the life' (John 11:25). He will raise the dead suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, and at the last trumpet. It shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52). For Christ our common Savior will transfer us into incorruption, glory and to an incorruptible life."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 136) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Revelation 11:4-12 comments that the real application comes at the end of this passage, when these witnesses are raised up to heaven “in a cloud” (Revelation 11:12). Even though they are killed, they still triumph! Their story tells us that anyone who stays faithful to Jesus will ultimately share in his resurrection. It’s a story of hope against all odds, a story of the victory of faith.

God accomplished his will through the two witnesses. He protected them during their mission, and when death came for them, it didn’t overpower them. Similarly, God has called you to be his witness, and he will help you fulfill that call. You belong to him, and that means that you belong to heaven. May we all hold onto our hope and trust in his love!

“Jesus, help me to place my life in your hands, whatever happens!” (Meditation on Revelation 11:4-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts today.

Dr. Barbara Holmes comments that the journey of life is absolutely a sacred journey, but we don’t know that when we’re younger. We don’t want to think about life in terms of a sacred journey, because we don’t know for certain where we came from, and we don’t know for certain where we’re going….

I’m on the other side of fifty now, and all of my priorities have shifted. The ambition and all of the things that I was striving for don’t make a lot of sense at this point. The fulfillment comes in doing what you are led to do. In the Christian tradition, the Holy Spirit is supposed to lead you into all truth. I see the Holy Spirit as a guiding light—we’re walking by the path and there’s a lamp unto our feet that helps us to know what to do, how to do it, and to be still.   

This is where contemplation comes in. It is impossible to shift priorities if we are in a constant, busy, frenetic lifestyle. There has to be that pause, that breath, that waiting, that willingness to be still until we know. Be still and know—but the stillness doesn’t immediately lead to knowing. At first, we have to be still, and then we have to be patient until the knowing comes about. (Holmes, n.d.)

When we take a moment to reflect on our journey in life, we allow our gratitude to reassure us of the action of the Spirit that leads us to fullness of life.

References

Carney, J. (2024, November 23). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112324.html 

Holmes, B. (n.d.). What Are Our Priorities? CAC Daily Meditations. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/honoring-dr-barbara-holmes-weekly-summary/ 

Luke 20. (n.d.). USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/20?27

Meditation on Revelation 11:4-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/11/23/1135260/ 

Psalm 144. (n.d.). USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1 

Revelation. (n.d.). USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/11?4 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=nov23