Psalm: 74
Meditation
Judith: Whoever wrote this tale of Judith seems to have woven many themes of the Old Covenant together, particularly the history books, into this story. The reading opens with an image of a mind-staggering Assyrian army – upwards of 200,000 men. As verse 4 tells us, “…neither the high mountains nor the hills will bear their weight.” See 2 Kings 6:15-19 how LORD works behind the scenes. Verses 19-32 reminds me of the pitched battle between David and Goliath – an encouragement. Judith, herself, reminds me of Jael (of Judges 4:17-22), another woman who killed an enemy general.
Gospel:
Luke 1:1-4; 3:1-14
New Testament:
Acts 18:1-11
Old Testament: Esther 4:4-17 or Judith 7:1-7, 19-32