Called to Heal

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary challenge us to contemplate the areas in our lives where we are called to bring healing to the people and circumstances we encounter.

Healing and Help

In the Reading from the First Letter of Samuel, while searching for The Lost Donkeys, Saul Meets Samuel.

h. [9:16] 1 Sm 10:1; Jgs 6:14. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 21 is a Royal Psalm of thanksgiving.

* [Psalm 21] The first part of this royal Psalm is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8), and the second is a promise that the king will triumph over his enemies (Ps 21:9–13). The king’s confident prayer (Ps 21:3–5) and trust in God (Ps 21:8) enable him to receive the divine gifts of vitality, peace, and military success. Ps 21:14 reprises Ps 21:2. When kings ceased in Israel after the sixth century B.C., the Psalm was sung of a future Davidic king. (Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents the Call of Levi.

* [2:13] He taught them: see note on Mk 1:21–45.

* [2:14] As he passed by: see note on Mk 1:16–20. Levi, son of Alphaeus: see note on Mt 9:9. Customs post: such tax collectors paid a fixed sum for the right to collect customs duties within their districts. Since whatever they could collect above this amount constituted their profit, the abuse of extortion was widespread among them. Hence, Jewish customs officials were regarded as sinners (Mk 2:16), outcasts of society, and disgraced along with their families. He got up and followed him: i.e., became a disciple of Jesus.

* [2:15] In his house: cf. Mk 2:1; Mt 9:10. Lk 5:29 clearly calls it Levi’s house.

* [2:16–17] This and the following conflict stories reflect a similar pattern: a statement of fact, a question of protest, and a reply by Jesus.

* [2:17] Do not need a physician: this maxim of Jesus with its implied irony was uttered to silence his adversaries who objected that he ate with tax collectors and sinners (Mk 2:16). Because the scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous, they were not capable of responding to Jesus’ call to repentance and faith in the gospel. (Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Cindy Costanzo comments that today's scripture from both the Old Testament and the New Testament shares how God calls us throughout our lives in many ways aligned with our gifts and talents.

 

God called both Saul and Levi - one to be King and the other to be a disciple. God calls all of us into discipleship - are we able to hear the call? God always has great things in mind for us…our journey in life changes based on our ability to open our heart and listen to the quiet stirrings; to open our minds, to trust, and explore what that call may be or mean in our lives. 

God’s love for us is not transactional - God knows us intimately and what we are capable of…we all are meant to be ‘lights’ guiding others to the light…God’s light. (Costanzo, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “No physician can avoid the arena of sickness,” by Gregory of Nazianzus (330 - 390 AD).

"When Jesus is attacked for mixing with sinners, and taking as his disciple a despised tax collector, one might ask: What could he possibly gain by doing so? (Luke 15:2) Only the salvation of sinners. To blame Jesus for mingling with sinners would be like blaming a physician for stooping down over suffering and putting up with vile smells in order to heal the sick." (excerpt from ORATION 45, ON HOLY EASTER 26) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 2:13-17 comments that frankly, we all need Jesus! The tax collectors and prostitutes whom Jesus spent time with were not the only sinners he was concerned about. The upright, too—including those who were concerned about the spiritual state of Jesus’ dinner guests—had their own sins and struggles. Whether they knew it or not, Jesus had come to save them, too.

If you’re like most people, you probably have a few appointments on your calendar: with doctors, dentists, therapists, or just get-togethers with friends. How about making an appointment with Jesus, the Divine Physician, perhaps in Confession or Adoration or at Mass. Or maybe you could make a daily appointment to meet him in prayer!

Come to Jesus. Follow him. Let him continue to heal you.

“Here I am, Lord; make me whole!” (Meditation on Mark 2:13-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the first reading begins the search of the people for a king. Saul asks for the seer, a man who knows the future or hidden knowledge. Samuel anoints Saul as the "anointed one”, a messiah , not The Messiah. The call of Levi, the tax collector, considered inherently dishonest people working for the occupying Romans, is not understood by the Pharisees. The were hated but Jesus calls Levi to follow Him and then scandalizes them by sharing table. These people are broken people and He wants to heal them by eating and showing them courtesy and decent treatment. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus reaches out to those who most need him and we should ask ourselves about our actions to reach out.

Father Richard Rohr introduces author Sherri Mitchell who invites us to attend to the stories of our own creation. She is informed by science and the traditions of her Penobscot heritage.

When we are born into this world, our umbilical connection is transferred from our birth mother to the Earth mother. Our umbilical connection with the Earth mother then nurtures and sustains us for the remainder of our human lives.

Though we have migrated a great distance, the radiance of that star dust still resonates within us. It is the essence of something indescribable that is etched upon our souls. It stirs something deep within us. This stirring is a call of recognition, of remembrance. It continuously reminds us that we are infinitely connected to one another, to the natural world, and to a unified divine source. Evidence of our shared origin can be found all around us. Science has finally caught up with what we have always known, that we are all related. We are all made out of the same foundational elements. It is simply the arrangement of those elements that gives distinct form to what we see before us. We share DNA with every other living being. Approximately 98 percent of our DNA is shared with primates, and about 35 percent is shared with plants…. We all come from the same originating source, and we all comprise the same foundational elements. (Rohr, 2026)

We seek guidance from the Spirit to become aware of the need of healing in our environment and strength to be a “physician” in Jesus Way.

References

Costanzo, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-17-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2?13 

Meditation on Mark 2:13-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/17/1481638/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/9?1 

Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/21?2 

Rohr, R. (2026, January 15). In the Beginning: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/in-the-beginning-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Sinners Were Sitting with Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 17, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Just Distribution for Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to recognize and seek just decisions from the people we choose to trust with leadership in our organizations, community, and country.

Justice for All

The Reading from the Book of Judges describes leadership qualities using trees.

* [9:9] Whereby gods and human beings are honored: olive oil had a variety of cultic uses (e.g., Lv 2:1, 6, 15; 24:2), and it was also used in the consecration of priests and kings for office (e.g., Ex 30:25, 30; 1 Sm 10:1; 16:13).

* [9:13] Cheers gods: wine was part of a number of types of offerings in the Israelite cult (cf. Ex 29:40; Lv 23:13; Nm 15:7, 10), and it was also used widely in the worship of foreign gods (cf. Dt 32:37–38; Is 65:11). (Judges, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 21 presents a royal Psalm of thanksgiving.

* [Psalm 21] The first part of this royal Psalm is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8), and the second is a promise that the king will triumph over his enemies (Ps 21:9–13). The king’s confident prayer (Ps 21:3–5) and trust in God (Ps 21:8) enable him to receive the divine gifts of vitality, peace, and military success. Ps 21:14 reprises Ps 21:2. When kings ceased in Israel after the sixth century B.C., the Psalm was sung of a future Davidic king. (Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents a parable about payment of the The Workers in the Vineyard.

* [20:1–16] This parable is peculiar to Matthew. It is difficult to know whether the evangelist composed it or received it as part of his traditional material and, if the latter is the case, what its original reference was. In its present context its close association with Mt 19:30 suggests that its teaching is the equality of all the disciples in the reward of inheriting eternal life.

* [20:4] What is just: although the wage is not stipulated as in the case of those first hired, it will be fair.

* [20:8] Beginning with the last…the first: this element of the parable has no other purpose than to show how the first knew what the last were given (Mt 20:12).

* [20:13] I am not cheating you: literally, “I am not treating you unjustly.”

* [20:14–15] The owner’s conduct involves no violation of justice (Mt 20:4, 13), and that all the workers receive the same wage is due only to his generosity to the latest arrivals; the resentment of the first comes from envy.

* [20:16] See note on Mt 19:30. (Matthew, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Anish Kochanichottil, SJ, comments that God’s justice is not like our justice.

We often calculate who deserves what. God looks at us with mercy. He wants everyone to be brought in, to be saved, to be fed, whether they came early or late, whether they were strong from the start or struggled along the way.

The workers who came last were not lazy. They just did not get a chance earlier. And sometimes, our jealousy or sense of fairness blinds us to the goodness we have already received.

The grace I feel we can pray for today is this: to know God’s generous and compassionate heart more deeply, so that we do not judge others or envy their blessings but instead rejoice that we are all part of one family, held in the love of a God whose justice is mercy. (Kochanichottil, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ our householder,” author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.

"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16 comments that Jesus tells this parable to help us understand the Father’s kindness. Think about the salvation God offers us: it was first for the Jews, who “labored in the field” the longest, and then for the Gentiles, who joined “late in the day.” Both received the same priceless gift! And that reveals the extravagant “unfair” generosity of God, who “wills everyone to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Putting ourselves in another person’s shoes is a good exercise for us, too. Because we can be like those workers in this parable, upset at someone else’s good fortune. Whether it’s a coworker who is promoted before us or the “deathbed conversion” of a notorious criminal, we might envy their blessings. So ask the Holy Spirit to give you a sense of the joy of your promoted coworker or that lost soul who has been found. And see the Father’s delight as he generously offers his gifts to all his children.

“Holy Spirit, help me to share in my neighbors’ joy as they receive God’s provision!” (Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. The Judges reading presents an attempt to change from a charismatically called office to start a hereditary royal line. The Buckthorn is chosen to underline suffering the consequences of a bad leader. The vineyard owner pays the last the same as the first ,a day’s wage. It is seemingly unfair. Typical of Matthew in the final judgement, the reward is closeness to God and it is the same for all who come. God is generous. Friar Jude reminds us of the mercy and goodness in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the anger of the older brother. We should be thrilled if great sinners are converted.

Brian McLaren describes how contemplative practices allow us to “mind our mind,” making space for thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without getting caught up in them. 

Contemplation liberates me from being a perpetual prisoner of my trains of thoughts and feelings; it helps me realize that I am not my thoughts and feelings. It helps me see that these inner reactions and negotiations happen to me and within me without my consent, like digestion, like sleep, like fatigue or laughter.  

In the stillness, new insights, comfort, and ways of being often arise. If stepping off the train is letting go, and if dwelling in the stillness is letting be, receiving these gifts is letting come. When these new gifts come, I experience a kind of liberation, a setting free. All of my best creative work seems to flow from this deep place of restful, receptive awareness beneath my mental subway system…. 

What we experience in the letting-come phase some people describe as intuition. Many would call it the gentle voice of God speaking within them. Seasoned contemplatives like Thomas Merton describe letting go, letting be, letting come, and setting free as discovering the true self. Others call it becoming the best self. I tend to think of it as becoming the integrated, unitive, or connected self…. (McLaren, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we contemplate the way in which we offer justice to the people we encounter in our daily work in the vineyard of Christ.

References

Judges, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judges/9?6 

Kochanichottil, A. (2025, August 20). Daily Reflection August 20, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-20-2025 

Matthew, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/20?1 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/mind-your-mind/ 

Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/08/20/1359494/ 

Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/21?2 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do You Begrudge My Generosity? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug20