FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, MARCH 15, 2026
- Maria Knox
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Anointing of David by Samuel in church St Etheldreda by Charles Blakeman (1953).
Reading I 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
REFLECTION
"Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart."
How many times does God choose someone amongst the people we would least expect? St. Juan Diego, St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. Martin de Porres, etc. They are examples of very poor people that became wonderful saints.
Is poverty the only condition necessary to go into Heaven?
St. Mark Ji Tianxiang was a 19th century Chinese doctor who became addicted to opium. He confessed frequently of this sin, and eventually his confessor thought he had no resolve to repent (addiction was not understood back then), and denied him absolution. He was denied communion for 30 years. He prayed to God daily to deliver him from his addiction. During the Boxer rebellion he and his whole family were imprisoned and condemned to death. He asked his captors to be the last to be executed so none of his family members would die alone. His captors agreed, and St. Mark Ji died on July 9, 1900. St. Pope John Paul II canonized him on October 1, 2000.
Venerable Matt Talbot suffered from alcoholism. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre tried to be a monk several times, but was rejected because he tended to wander and lacked stability. Sometimes I think that if I ran into him I would confuse him with the vagabonds I see in the streets.
St. Oscar Romero suffered OCD. Venerable Rutilio Grande from catatonic schizophrenia. St. Alphonsa Muttathupadathu had PTSD from an intruder breaking into her convent cell. Servant of God Rose Hawthorne Lathrop suffered from postpartum depression and psychosis.
Even St. Louis Martin and St. Albert the Great might have suffered from either dementia or Alzheimer later in life.
Other saints and venerables struggled with gambling, sexual addiction, eating disorders, etc. They were human beings with the same defects and struggles we have. They kept asking God to help them. They were poor in spirit. They persevered in recognizing their limitations and trusting in God to help them, even if this took their entire lives.
Young David might not have looked like much before Samuel anointed him. Do we overlook people and judge them because of their appearance, defects, or life style?
Let us pray to God to help us see and treat others with the love and dignity they deserve.
God bless y'all!
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