Friday, Second Week in Ordinary Time
First Reading
1 Samuel 24:3–21
Saul takes three thousand men to search for David and his followers. When Saul enters a cave to relieve himself, David and his men are hiding deeper inside. David’s men urge him to take his chance, but he cuts only a corner of Saul’s robe. Later, confronting Saul, David shows the piece of robe and reproaches him for pursuing him despite his innocence. Saul recognises David’s mercy and acknowledges that David will one day be king.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11
Have mercy on me, O God; in you my soul takes refuge.
The psalm is a cry for God’s mercy and protection amid trials and threats.
Gospel
Mark 3:13–19
Jesus goes up a mountainside and calls those whom he desired. He names the Twelve who will be with him and sent out to preach, to have authority to cast out demons, and to heal in his name: Peter (whom he names Simon), James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot.
Reflection
Today’s readings present two models of how God’s people respond to conflict and call: with mercy and with mission.
In the First Reading, David has the chance to destroy his greatest enemy, yet he refrains. His mercy is not naive but rooted in faithfulness to God’s anointing and purposes. Rather than impose his own justice, David honours God’s timing. His act calls attention to how mercy breaks cycles of violence and opens the way for reconciliation.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls the Twelve — not as a demonstration of earthly power, but as an invitation to participate in his work of mercy and healing. Jesus’ authority is not about domination but service. The Twelve will be companions with him, learning from his presence, and then sent out to continue his mission of compassion.
These readings together remind us that God’s leadership is expressed not through coercion but through mercy and service. Our hearts and behaviours are transformed not by force, but by the patient work of Christ’s Spirit within us. When we choose mercy over retaliation, and when we answer Christ’s call to serve, we participate in God’s healing presence in the world.
A moment of pause
Where in your life today is God calling you to choose mercy first — even when it is costly — and how might that choice shape your witness?
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