Thursday, January 22, 2026

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

(I Samuel 18:6-9.19:1-7; Mark 3:7-12)

In its very first chapter, the Bible endorses human dignity.  “God created man in his image,” it reads, “… male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).  Of all creatures, humans stand out as godlike.  Catholic bishops rightly interpret this principle as implying that every person needs protection.  Humans must be safeguarded from those who would destroy them for their own purposes.

In modern times the assault on the human person has intensified.  Total war devastates foreign populations as well as their armies.  More insidious is the massive abortion of human beings in initial development.  Today, while much of society approves abortion, the Church continues its defense of human life from conception.

In 2022 the Supreme Court of the United States reversed a previous decision made on this date that legalized abortion throughout the country.  Now it is permissible only in states that approve it. Yet abortion has increased.  Drugs are taken to kill the human embryo.  We must back the Catholic bishops’ effort to protect life.  By talking about the issue, writing legislators, praying, and demonstrating we can support the most vulnerable of human beings.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr

(I Samuel 17:32.33.37.40-51; Mark 3:1-6)

Everyone knows the story behind today’s first reading.  The duel between David and Goliath resounds throughout Western civilization like the fall of Troy.  It advises the mighty not to be arrogant in their expectations, and the poor not to lose hope.

The reading draws attention to David’s innocence and courage.  More significantly, however, it reveals the almighty power of God over the forces of evil.  David does not rely on his sling or the stones to upend the giant.  Rather, he exhibits trust in God as he tells the pagan, “… I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.”

The story tempers the confidence of the strong in their own strength. It admonishes them to trust in God’s love.  Today’s patron, St. Agnes of Rome, shines as another example.  When she dedicated herself to the Lord, she refused to surrender her virginity to the pretensions of men.  She did not gain a long life like David but rather was awarded a place in God’s kingdom as a youth.

 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(II Samuel 6:12b-15.17-19; Mark 3:31-35)

In today’s reading from II Samuel, David consolidates his power over Israel.  He has been anointed the nation’s king.  Now he shows himself as its religious leader as well.  By capturing attention in the procession with the Ark of the Covenant, David is claiming to be the people’s de facto “high priest.”

Kings and presidents throughout history have sought high status in religious affairs.  The term for religious along with political supremacy is “caesaropapism.”  Roman emperors after Constantine relished this dual authority.  Henry VIII proclaimed himself head of the Church of England.  For all practical purposes Louis XIV did likewise in France.  Vladimir Putin seems to wield religious power in Russia today.

Most societies today, however, have firmly separated religious from political authority.  Political authority needs an independent religious counterweight to critique its determinations.  The converse is true as well. Religious authority can become tyrannical so that government should restrain its overreaching.

Tuesday, January 20, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 16:1-13; Mark 2:23-28)

In a couple of weeks American attention will turn to the Superbowl.  Most people will make plans for watching the championship game on television.  They will root for their preferred team, enjoy the halftime entertainment, and take note of the advertisements.  More than any other public event, the Superbowl reveals how advertisements entice the public to spend their money.

In today’s first reading Samuel is similarly enticed by an array of characteristics that amount to advertisements for a replacement of King Saul.  Eliab looks good with his lofty stature. So does Abinadab, who fought in Saul’s army.  But what is appealing to humans may not be what God desires.  Although David’s ruddy complexion attracts human eyes, it is not for his appearance that the Lord chooses him to be king.  Rather, it is David’s heart which loves the Lord and will remain faithful to him.

We too must be careful not to judge only by appearances.  Whether it be a book or a spouse, the flashy, the sumptuous, the beautiful will draw our attention.  But as the wise know by instinct and most of us from experience, what makes a person worthy is not visible to the eye.  To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., , it is not the color of one’s skin, but the content of one’s character that matters.

Monday, January 19, 2029

 Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

 (I Samuel 15:16-23; Mark 2:18-22)

 Jesus brings Israel a new holiness.  Seeing saw how many practitioners of the law have become hard-hearted, he provides a fresh interpretation.  He extends some precepts like love to include one’s enemies.  He also accentuates what the law has taught for centuries with uncommon vigor.  He compares this new holiness to “new wine” and warns that it requires “fresh wineskins.” By this he means that the people need to change the way they live.  They must move from an obsession with personal righteousness to heart-felt care for others.

 Today marks the ninety-seventh birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  In a very significant way his ministry resembles that of the Lord Jesus.  He too strove to change people’s minds and hearts.  Where many people thought that laws were fair because they were “on the books,” he showed that some were patently unjust.  Almost as important, he always preached respect, even love, for others.  Dr. King is not only an American hero exemplifying both courage and racial justice.  He is a kind of Christian saint dying, like Christ, out of selfless love.

 We can test ourselves as being “fresh wineskins” by asking how we see people of different skin color.  If we judge them inferior mentally or morally for that reason, we are old wineskins.  We will fall apart trying to accommodate Jesus’ teaching.  But if we respect them for their differences, then we should be able to follow Jesus to the end.