12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year: B)
Date: Sunday, June 24th, 2018, 11:00
Old Testament: 1 Sam. 17:1,4-11,19-23,32-49
Psalms: Ps. 9:9-20
1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
4A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.
5He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels;
6on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.
7His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
10Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."
11On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."
20Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
21Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.
22David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.
23As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.
32David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
36Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
37The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
38Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
39David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.
40Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
41Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
42He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
43He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
45David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
48As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
49Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
1 Samuel 17:1,4-11,19-23,32-49 (NIV)
Epistle: 2 Cor. 6:1-13
9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.
15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah
17The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.
18But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
19Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
20Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah
Psalms 9:9-20 (NIV)
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.
2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.
12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
13As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (NIV)
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)