The first page we would open for boys is the story of David, a young man too. Every day a giant named Goliath used to emerge from the camp of the Philistines and throw down a challenge. "Choose out a man of you," he would say to the Israelites, "and let him come down and fight hand to hand." But terror kept the Israelites rooted to the spot, because Goliath "was in height six cubits and a span . . . and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron . . ."
Not a soul stirred in the camp of Israel and for forty days the taunting challenge was thundered forth. Young David, a shepherd, happened one morning to arrive on the scene and heard the giant's boast that there was not a man fit to fight him. At once his blood was stirred and he begged to be allowed out against Goliath. His brothers, regular soldiers in the army of Israel, said angrily he ought to have a bit of sense, but some of the bystanders sought out King Saul and told him of the boy's offer.
Saul, too, though not angry, was still loath to allow the lad his way. "You are only a boy, and this Goliath a monster and a warrior from his youth." David insisted. He told the king that a lion or a bear attacked his sheep and he faced that savage animal, rescued the sheep from its jaws, and, unarmed, caught the wild beast by the throat and strangled it. Saul was impressed; perhaps this boy was destined by God to deliver them from this scourge. "Go," he said, "and the Lord be with thee."
So David donned the heavy armor of the soldier and tried to brandish the sword. But they were unwieldy and he threw them off and took instead only his sling and five smooth stones and, thus accoutred, sallied forth to fight the Philistine. Goliath laughed derisively. "He despised him because he was a young man." But David said: "Come to me and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air ... I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts ... Who will deliver thee into my hand." He took one of his five stones, put it into his sling "and, fetching it about, struck the Philistine in the forehead ... and he fell.... And as David had no sword he drew out of its sheath the sword of the Philistine ... and cut off his head."
The whole story is told in the seventeenth chapter of the First Book of Kings and it should make a page of reading to thrill and inspire a boy. In my prayer, there are several details to notice carefully because David has so much in common with the average modern boy.
First of all, he had great difficulty in persuading his elders to give him a chance. Youth is keen and longs to show what it can do. And all too often we oldsters throw cold water on the fire and compliment ourselves on our wisdom and prudence. Lord, give me some of the zeal of David; help me to do something worth while with my life. What that is going to mean I cannot know, or know only with difficulty at this stage, but at least put the spirit into me that refuses to let my precious gift of life slip uselessly through my fingers.
There is a modern Goliath, is there not, throwing down a challenge to the Catholic world? Its name is Communism. It spurns the very name of God and denies even His existence. It would have us believe that we are animals merely, creatures of uncontrollable instincts, and that we should settle down like other animals and indulge our hatred, our greed, that we should wade if necessary in a river of human blood in order to execute the bidding of the monster.
Communism directs its shafts especially against our young men. They are its target because it understands how they are inspired by an ideal, and so it wraps up its real aims in high-sounding phraseology and deceives many. Lord, it will not deceive me. Give me a deep love for the divine truth taught me with unerring certainty in the Catholic Church. Not only shall I prove my unswerving loyalty to You but, like David, I shall go forward fearlessly and at least help in the slaying of the giant. Only tell me how and I will not fail You.
David could not manage the cumbersome armor and sword. He did all he set out to do by using merely a sling and a few stones. What are my weapons, as I go out to the world and meet the enemies of God and His Church? They are such as these enemies despise. True, I must study. I must learn the answers and the best mode of attack. I must have a sound intellectual grasp of my Faith and take my part, perhaps a brilliant and leading part, in the work of Catholic Action. But, more necessary than all, I must learn to pray and to practice selfdenial. I must persevere in prayer and persevere in curbing my passions, and this perseverance will be in me what the sling and five stones were in the hand of David.
Jesus, teach me the value of prayer and selfsacrifice. Let me not be afraid to do hard things for love of You, seeing how much hardship Your enemies endure in order to oppose You.