Daily Mass Readings – Monday, 24 January 2028

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.

2 Moreover yesterday also and the day before, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.

3 The ancients also of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5 In Hebron he reigned over Juda seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years over all Israel and Juda.

6 And the king and all the men that were with him went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land: and they said to David: Thou shalt not come in hither unless thou take away the blind and the lame that say: David shall not come in hither.

7 But David took the castle of Sion, the same is the city of David.

10 And he went on prospering and growing up, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

R. (25a) My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

20 Then thou spokest in a vision to thy saints, and saidst: I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and have exalted one chosen out of my people.

R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

21 I have found David my servant: with my holy oil I have anointed him.

22 For my hand shall help him: and my arm shall strengthen him.

R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

25 And my truth and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

26 And I will set his hand in the sea; and his right hand in the rivers.

R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

10 Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

22 And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils.

23 And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and cannot stand, but hath an end.

27 No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he plunder his house.

28 Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme:

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin.

30 Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.

David’s rise to kingship reveals that genuine authority begins with God’s choosing and sustaining grace. The people recognize in him one who has led and cared for Israel, while the psalm gives the deeper foundation: God’s faithfulness and mercy remain with the one he anoints. David’s strength and success are not self-made achievements; the Lord is with him.

In the Gospel, Jesus shows what happens when people refuse to recognize God’s work. He is freeing others from evil, yet the scribes call that work demonic. Jesus answers that a divided kingdom cannot stand, and he reveals himself as the stronger one who binds the strong man and liberates what has been held captive. His mission brings life, forgiveness, and the triumph of God’s kingdom. The warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a warning against a heart so hardened that it names grace evil and rejects mercy itself. Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light. We can trust his power, seek his mercy, and refuse the inner division that weakens our faith. A life gathered around Christ becomes a place where his freedom and peace can endure.

Faithful God, you strengthened David and remained with him in mercy. Establish your reign within us through Jesus Christ, the stronger one who conquers evil and brings life. Guard us from pride, suspicion, and the refusal to recognize your grace. Keep our hearts open to the Holy Spirit, ready to repent and receive forgiveness. Gather our scattered thoughts and desires into a faithful love for you, so that our homes, communities, and choices may reflect the peace of your undivided kingdom. Help us trust your mercy and cooperate with the freedom Christ gives. Amen.