Catholic daily readings

Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Thursday, January 22, 2026 · Ordinary Time - Week 2

The readings meet you in the ordinary place where faith is practiced. Stay with what Jesus says or does here, and let it ask for one honest response.

Today’s readings

First Reading

1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7

As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. The women sang to one another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?" Saul watched David from that day and forward. Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David. Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, live in a secret place, and hide yourself. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you." Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don't let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you; for he put his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?" Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death." Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13

My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me. In God, I will praise his word. In the LORD, I will praise his word. I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Gospel

Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn't press on him. For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, "You are the Son of God!" He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

Scripture text: World English Bible Catholic Edition, public domain. Reading citations are prepared for Come Aside from MIT-licensed citation metadata.