Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Tuesday of the second week in ordinary time, January 20th, 2026

Delivered by Evelyn from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. 1 Samuel 16: 1-13; Rs psalm 89: 20.21-22.27-28; Mark 2: 23-28.THE LEGACY OF OBEDIENCE The title for our meditation today is: The Legacy ofObedience. When the prophet Samuel was sent by God to anoint a king for Israel,the Lord's choice fell on David—not because of his appearance, strength, orsocial status, but because of a willing heart that was ready to obey. David wasseen worthy not because he was perfect without blemish, but because he had aninner willingness to listen to and put God's will above his own.  This kind of obedience is not forced obedience, but obedienceborn of faith and trust that God knows best. In David, God saw a legacy: man'sobedience to His voice, an attitude that should live on from generation togeneration. David gave an example that obedience is a manifestation of a humanvirtue namely fear of God. The inheritance of obedience is the noble calling that Godentrusts to His people: that man should not live according to his own desires,but walk in the light of God's will. However, this inheritance is oftenthreatened by sin. Sin always seeks to undermine obedience by replacing it withpride, self-justification, or a life that simply "appears right" onthe outside. However, God has never taken that inheritance of obedience awayfrom the world. He continues to nurture it and send the elect—those who are willingto be heirs and guardians of his faithfulness. In Jesus' debate with the Pharisees and scribes, the figureof David was again raised as a model of true obedience. Jesus reveals thatGod's will cannot be done by outward rules alone, much less by motivation mixedwith spiritual ambition. The obedience that God requires is pure obedience:free from self-interest, not seeking praise, and not using religion as aninstrument of power. Thus, David was not just a king of history but an icon ofthe mind—a picture of a man who carries out God's will with an open, honest,and freedom of heart. God did not call His people to be a generation that broke thechain of faithfulness, but to be a generation that continues and purifies it.God's chosen people are those who deserve to inherit obedience: willing to hearGod's correction, willing to repent when they fall, and remain faithful evenwhen no one is looking. It is at this point that obedience becomes a sign ofspiritual identity: that this life belongs to God who leads with love. Let's look at a torch that is inherited in a relaycompetition. The torch is not just an object, but a symbol of direction,purpose, and responsibility. If one runner drops it, the entire team could losea chance, not because the torch is missing, but because they neglect to guard it.But the coach doesn't stop training, he doesn't stop picking the bestrunners—he makes sure the torch stays all the way to the finish line. Such isobedience: a sacred heritage that must be preserved, not extinguished by sin andnegligence. A legacy of obedience is not just a story of the past, but a call oftoday—that the world may continue to have faithful, pure, and free witnesses tolive the will of God.Letus pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord God, strengthen our commitment offaith to You so that we will always inherit obedience to Your will to theyounger generation around us. Hail Mary, full of grace... In the name of theFather ...