Let God operate in you; hand the work over to Him and do not disquiet yourself
as to whether or no He is working with nature or above nature, for His are both nature and grace.
- Meister Eckhart (1260-1327) Let God operate in you . . .
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1 Samuel
17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10 Mark 3:1-6 Jesus went into a synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him to see if he would cure him on the sabbath day, hoping for something to use against him. He said to the man
with the withered hand, ‘Stand up out in the middle!’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?’ But they said nothing. Then, grieved to find them so obstinate, he looked angrily round at them, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was better. The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him.
Reflection on the Scriptures
Today’s readings immerse us in the drama of faith confronting fear. In 1 Samuel 17, the young shepherd David stands before the giant Goliath, not with armor or sword, but with a sling, a few stones, and unshakable trust in God. His victory is
not about physical strength or skill, but about faith, the conviction that “the battle is the Lord’s.” David’s courage flows from this truth: when the heart is aligned with God’s will, no obstacle, no “giant,” can prevail. It is a reminder that spiritual strength arises not from worldly means but from surrender to divine power. 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. -by Jane Stein
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis https://amzn.to/40FrikB Paperback and Kindle versions available BOOK
ONE: Thoughts Helpful in the Life of a Soul
The Thirteenth Chapter: Resisting Temptations
Above all, we must be
especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.
Someone has said very aptly: "Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength." First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by
pleasure, evil delight, and consent. Thus, because he is not resisted in the beginning, Satan gains full entry. And the longer one delays in resisting, so much the weaker does he become each day, while the strength of the enemy grows against him.
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