Daily Mass Readings for January 24, 2026: Gospel — Mc 3,20-21

¹ After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed at Ziklag for two days. ² On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he approached David, the man threw himself to the ground. ³ David asked him, “Where are you coming from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David inquired, “How were things going? Tell me!” He replied, “The people fled from the battle and many of them fell dead. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!” 1 1 :¹ In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. ³ So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ David sent some messengers to get her. She came to him and he went to bed with her. (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) Then she returned to her home. ⁵ The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.” ⁶ So David sent a message to Joab that said, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your home and relax.” When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him. ⁹ But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house. 1 ⁰ So they informed David, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven’t you gone down to your house?” 1 ¹ Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you are alive, I will not do this thing!” 1 ² So David said to Uriah, “Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one. 1 ³ Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house. 1 ⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 1 ⁵ In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah at the front in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.” 1 ⁶ So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. 1 ⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died. 1 ⁸ Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. 1 ⁹ He instructed the messenger as follows: “When you finish giving the battle report to the king, 2 ⁰ if the king becomes angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall? 2 ¹ Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’” 2 ² So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. 2 ³ The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and attacked us in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way to the door of the city gate. 2 ⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king’s soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” 2 ⁵ David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.’ Encourage him with these words.” 2 ⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. 2 ⁷ When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace. She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the Lord. 1 2 :¹ So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. ³ But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him. ⁴ “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him.” ⁵ Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” ⁷ Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! ⁹ Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees by doing evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 1 ⁰ So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ 1 ¹ This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight! 1 ² Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’” 1 ³ Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die. 1 ⁴ Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.” 1 ⁵ Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. 1 ⁶ Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground. 1 ⁷ The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them. 1 ⁸ On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” 1 ⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.” 2 ⁰ So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate. 2 ¹ His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” 2 ² He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.’ 2 ³ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!” 2 ⁴ So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He came to her and went to bed with her. Later she gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the child 2 ⁵ and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake. 2 ⁶ So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. 2 ⁷ Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. 2 ⁸ So now assemble the rest of the army and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.” 2 ⁹ So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. 3 ⁰ He took the crown of their king from his head—it was gold, weighed about 7 ⁵ pounds, and held a precious stone—and it was placed on David’s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder. 3 ¹ He removed the people who were in it and made them labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policy with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. 1 9 :1 (19:2 ) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” ² So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” ³ That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. ⁴ The king covered his face and cried out loudly, “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!” ⁵ So Joab visited the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. ⁶ You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, it would be all right with you. ⁷ So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!” ⁸ So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they all came before him.But the Israelite soldiers had all fled to their own homes. ⁹ All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 1 ⁰ But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king, has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?” 1 ¹ Then King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests saying, “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back to his palace, when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention. 1 ² You are my brothers—my very own flesh and blood! Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 1 ³ Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? God will punish me severely, if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’” 1 ⁴ He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.” 1 ⁵ So the king returned and came to the Jordan River. Now the people of Judah had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him cross the Jordan. 1 ⁶ Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David. 1 ⁷ There were 1 ,000 men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant of Saul’s household, and with him his 1 ⁵ sons and 2 ⁰ servants. They hurriedly crossed the Jordan within sight of the king. 1 ⁸ They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king. 1 ⁹ He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left Jerusalem! Please don’t call it to mind! 2 ⁰ For I, your servant, know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” 2 ¹ Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” 2 ² But David said, “What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” 2 ³ The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath concerning this. 2 ⁴ Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely returned, Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet nor trimmed his mustache nor washed his clothes. 2 ⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 2 ⁶ He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I am lame. 2 ⁷ But my servant has slandered me to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. 2 ⁸ After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! What further claim do I have to ask the king for anything?” 2 ⁹ Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 3 ⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely to his house!” 3 ¹ Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there. 3 ² But Barzillai was very old—eighty years old, in fact—and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. 3 ³ So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.” 3 ⁴ Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 3 ⁵ I am now eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I continue to be a burden to my lord the king? 3 ⁶ I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance. Why should the king reward me in this way? 3 ⁷ Let me return so that I may die in my own town near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems appropriate to you.” 3 ⁸ The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.” 3 ⁹ So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home. 4 ⁰ When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers of Judah along with half the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over. 4 ¹ Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan—and not only him but all of David’s men as well?” 4 ² All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense? Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?” 4 ³ The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have 1 ⁰ shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.