Scripture for Your Inner Outcasts

Transcript

"'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.'"

Welcome to Scripture for Your Inner Outcasts. Today is January 20th, 2026, Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time. Today we are joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Peter Malinoski, the co-founder and president of Souls and Hearts and host of our sister podcast, Interior Integration for Catholics.

It is so good to be back with you. This is January 20th, 2026, Tuesday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time. The first reading, 1 Samuel chapter 16. I'm focusing in on verses 10 to 11, which read as follows. "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.'" Of course, Samuel and Jesse are discussing David, who is to become King David. And in episode 41 of the Interior Integration for Catholics podcast titled Trauma and Shame in King David's Childhood, I get into about so many ways that David was rejected in his childhood, the trauma he sustained in his childhood. There's a real untold story here, because I believe that Jesse did not know until that moment that David was his son. There's some real reasons to believe that. I expand on that in episode 41 of the podcast. But the interesting thing here is that David was the one who was rejected. Samuel called for all of Jesse's sons. David was not included the first time around, and Jesse had to produce him when Samuel the prophet demanded it. The Lord has not chosen any of these. So often God chooses the youngest, the least significant, because look at the way David was being treated here.

He was just left out in the field. This was a big deal. Samuel the prophet had come to town. Everybody wanted to be there, right? But David, he was rejected. He was commanded to be way out in the field, not allowed to be present. And what does Jesse say? "Send for him. We will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here." Think about the dignity conveyed upon David, the rejected, unacknowledged son. This is a reflection of how much God loves those parts of us that are rejected, that are devalued within us. We will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he is here. Then, of course, Jesse anoints David, the King of Israel. Whoa, right. How the last can become first, right? And this is a story that we can take inside to our rejected exiles as well. It is mind blowing what can happen. I have seen it over and over again in so many people I've accompanied, in my own life too. Like how these exiles become so critical in us becoming fully who we are called to be. So that's waiting for us if we are open to it. Managers, firefighters, protectors, please consider, right. There are ways that this can happen where the exiles can participate, exiles cooperate, collaborate, right. We want to make sure we're working together, all under the leadership and guidance of our innermost self, who is our bridge, our conduit to connecting with our Lord.

Listeners are invited to learn more about the innermost self, which was mentioned in today's episode, by checking out our sister podcast, Interior Integration for Catholics episode 158.

And with that, we'll draw this to a close by invoking our patroness and our patrons. Our Lady, our Mother, Untier of Knots, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.