February 23, 2025, 7th Sunday in ordinary time.

A reading from the first book of Samuel.

In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Zip, with 3,000 picked men of Israel to search

for David in the desert of Zip.

So David and Abishai went among Saul's soldiers by night, and found Saul lying asleep

within the barricade, with his spear thrust into the ground at his head, and Abner

and his men sleeping around him.

Abashai whispered to David, God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day.

Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear. I will not need a second thrust.

But David said to Abashai, do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord's anointed and remain unpunished.

So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul's head,

and they got away without anyone seeing or knowing or awakening.

All remained asleep because the Lord had put them into a deep slumber.

Going across to an opposite slope, David stood on a remote hilltop at a great distance

from Abner, son of Nair, and the troops. He said, Here is the king's spear. Let an attendant

come over to get it. The Lord will reward each man for his justice

and faithfulness. Today, though the Lord delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the Lord's

anointed. The word of the Lord.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

The Lord is kind and merciful. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my being bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. The Lord is kind and merciful. He pardons all your inequities, He heals all your ills, He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the Lord,

...