Daily Catholic Lectio. Thu, 22 January ‘26. Being Crushed

Daily Catholic Lectio

Thu, 22 January ‘26

Second Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday

1 Sam 18:6-9. 19:1-7. Mk 3:7-12

Being Crushed

To be crushed is a deeply human experience. At times it comes from jealousy, fear, and rejection; at other times it comes from love, need, and hope. Today’s readings place before us two very different experiences of being crushed—one destructive, the other life-giving.

In the first reading, David is crushed negatively by Saul’s jealousy. Women sing of David’s victories, and Saul’s heart closes. What should have been shared joy becomes rivalry; what should have been gratitude becomes fear. Saul sees David not as a gift to Israel, but as a threat to his own position. Jealousy narrows his vision and hardens his heart, pushing him to plan David’s death. This kind of crushing wounds deeply: it suffocates, isolates, and seeks to destroy.

In sharp contrast stands Jonathan. Humanly speaking, he has every reason to be jealous of David, for David is the one who stands closest to the throne that should one day be his. Yet Jonathan refuses to see David as a rival. He chooses generosity over insecurity, friendship over fear. He speaks on David’s behalf, protects him, and saves his life. Jonathan shows us that kindness can exist even in situations charged with loss and uncertainty. Where jealousy crushes, magnanimity gives space to breathe.

In the Gospel, we encounter another kind of crushing—this time positive. Jesus is surrounded by crowds pressing in from every side. They come with sickness, pain, and longing for healing. He is almost overwhelmed, so much so that a boat is kept ready lest the crowd crush him. Yet this crushing does not come from hostility but from hope. People press close because they trust him. They want life. They want to be healed. Jesus allows himself to be “crushed” by their need, and from this closeness flows healing and restoration. Love accepts pressure so that others may live.

These two scenes mirror our own lives. We too are crushed in different ways. At times, we are crushed negatively—by jealousy, misunderstanding, rejection, or silent competition. At other times, we are crushed positively—by responsibility, by the needs of others, by love that asks much of us. The same pressure can either diminish us or deepen us, depending on how we respond and whom we trust.

In every kind of crushing, the psalmist gives us words to pray: “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid” (Ps 55). Trust does not remove pressure, but it prevents pressure from destroying us. David survives Saul’s jealousy not because he is clever, but because he entrusts his life to God. Jesus bears the crowd not because he seeks popularity, but because he is rooted in the Father’s will.

Today, we ask for the grace to recognise the pressures in our lives: to resist the crushing that comes from jealousy and fear, to accept the crushing that comes from love and service, and in all things to place our trust in God. May we learn from Jonathan’s generosity, from Jesus’ compassion, and from the psalmist’s faith, so that even when we are crushed, we are not broken—but transformed.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy