First Reading

Reading from the first book of Samuel 

1 Samuel 9:1-4, 10, 17-19; 10:1

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish; he was a distinguished member of his tribe. He had a son named Saul, a young man of fine appearance. There was no other Israelite more handsome than he; he was head and shoulders taller than any of the others.

One day the donkeys of Kish got lost, and he said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.” They went through the hill country of Ephraim and through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they traversed the land of Shaalim, but they were not there; then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them. So they directed themselves to the city where Samuel, the man of God, lived. When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him: “This is the man of whom I told you. He shall govern my people.”

Saul met Samuel in the gateway of the city and said to him, “Please tell me where the seer lives.” Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and dine with me today. In the morning, before letting you go, I will tell you everything that is in your heart.”

As they were going down from the high place early in the morning, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying to him, “The Lord anoints you as ruler of his people Israel. You are the one who will govern the Lord’s people and save them from the power of their enemies all around them.”

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 

Mark 2:13-17

At that time, Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him, and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”