Today’s readings immerse us in the drama of faith confronting fear. In 1 Samuel 17, the young shepherd David stands before the giant Goliath, not with armor or sword, but with a sling, a few stones, and unshakable trust in God. His victory is not about physical strength or skill, but about faith, the conviction that “the battle is the Lord’s.” David’s courage flows from this truth: when the heart is aligned with God’s will, no obstacle, no “giant,” can prevail. It is a reminder that spiritual strength arises not from worldly means but from surrender to divine power.
The responsorial psalm beautifully echoes this confidence: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle.” It is God who equips us, often quietly and interiorly, for the struggles we face. Whether those “battles” are against fear, injustice, illness, or our own self-doubt, the faith-filled heart takes refuge in the Rock who never fails.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus faces a different kind of confrontation, not with a warrior, but with hardened hearts. When he heals the man with the withered hand on the sabbath, his act of compassion exposes the hypocrisy of those who value legalism over love. Jesus’ question pierces through self-righteous silence: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil?” His courage, like David’s, comes from fidelity to the Father’s mission. Both David and Jesus act in the name of God’s truth, even when surrounded by opposition.
On this Memorial of Saint Agnes, we meet yet another figure of holy courage. Only a young girl, she faced martyrdom rather than betray her commitment to Christ. Like David, she was considered small and powerless by the world’s standards; yet her faith made her mighty. Her victory was not through the sword, but through steadfast love, a love stronger than fear and even death.
On a personal note, I lost my mother on December 8th, so that is heavy on my heart at this time. In the presence of my grief, these readings offer consoling light. Just as David’s victory affirmed that God stands with those who trust Him, so our hope rests in the promise that love and life do not end in death. My mother’s faith, tenderness, and self-giving mirrored the constancy of God’s own love. Her passing, though deeply painful, becomes a moment to proclaim, like David and Saint Agnes, that the battle, and ultimately the victory, belongs to the Lord. In His mercy, I believe she now dwells in peace, held by the same divine love that sustained her through every trial in life.
Jane Stein
I was born and grew up in Omaha. After my husband, Ed (who is a Creighton graduate as well) and I married (at St. John’s on campus) we moved to Arizona to work with the U.S. Public Health Service and lived on the Apache reservation and served the native-American population. We moved to Phoenix 4.5 years later to raise our three children John, Maggie and Michael. We are now blessed to have two beautiful grandchildren, Ernesto and Emelia.
I first served in the Dominican Republic with Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) as a 4th-year Pharmacy student while attending Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. I then served as a professional volunteer there in 2018 and 2019 and now have the privilege of serving ILAC as Co-Director of Pharmacy since 2021.
I am humbled to have been invited to write for the online ministry. My hope is that I can bring others in closer relationship with God through my reflections. I have been blessed with spiritual mentors and would like to pay it forward.
