First Reading
Reading from the first book of Samuel
1 Samuel 17, 32-33. 37. 40-51
In those days, David said to Saul: «My lord, do not let your heart be afraid because of that Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him.» But Saul replied: «You cannot go to fight against Goliath, because you are only a youth, and he is a man trained for war from his youth.» David answered him: «The Lord, who has delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me also from the hands of that Philistine.» Saul said to him: «Go, and may the Lord help you.»
David took the staff he always carried with him; he chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in his shepherd’s bag, and with the sling in his hand, advanced toward the Philistine. Goliath, preceded by his shield-bearer, approached David. The Philistine looked at him intently, and when he saw that he was a youth, blond and handsome, he despised him and said: «Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks and stones?» David answered: «No. You are worse than a dog.» Then Goliath cursed him in the name of his gods and added: «Come here, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.»
David replied: «You come against me with sword, spear, and javelin. But I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have insulted. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hands; I will strike you down and cut off your head, and I will give your corpse and the corpses of the Philistines to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, and this whole multitude will know that the Lord does not save with sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hands.»
When the Philistine began to advance against David, David ran to meet him, reached into his bag, took out a stone, slung it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone; he struck him and killed him, without having a sword in his hand. David ran to where the Philistine lay fallen, took his sword, drew it from its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head. The Philistines, seeing that their champion was dead, fled.
Gospel
Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Mark
Mark 3, 1-6
At that time, Jesus entered the synagogue, where there was a man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the sabbath so they could accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand: «Stand up here in the middle.»
Then he said to them: «Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?» But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, «Stretch out your hand.» He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.