The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate Divine action in the experiences of reversal of fortune, rescue from mortal danger and following the plan of God.
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| The New Year journey |
The reading from the First Book of Samuel lays the groundwork in Hannah’s childlessness for Samuel’s Birth.
* [1:7] In biblical narrative, the social status gained by producing children, especially males, often set woman against woman; cf. e.g., Gn 16, 21, 30. Peninnah’s provocations may be the arrogant boasting mentioned in 2:3.1
Psalm 116 poses the question “What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?”
* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions.2
The Gospel of Mark tells of the beginning of the Galilean Ministry as Jesus calls the First Disciples.
* [1:14–15] After John had been arrested: in the plan of God, Jesus was not to proclaim the good news of salvation prior to the termination of the Baptist’s active mission. Galilee: in the Marcan account, scene of the major part of Jesus’ public ministry before his arrest and condemnation. The gospel of God: not only the good news from God but about God at work in Jesus Christ. This is the time of fulfillment: i.e., of God’s promises. The kingdom of God…Repent: see note on Mt 3:2.3
Thomas Quinn comments that Hannah’s struggle with depression may be understood if we imagine that she was treated very well by her loving husband, yet she felt unworthy of his unconditional love. We often find ourselves in this circumstance if we believe that God loves us even if we feel that we have not merited this love.
We often wish, or long for, a goal or a condition of life that seems to be just out of reach, when suddenly, it is attained. Things seem to fall into place with the aid and love of Our Heavenly Father. Why do we continue to weep and feel sad when we know that we are loved and cared for? God is asking us why we need anything else when we know that we have His love.
As I reflected on this passage, I had the benefit of knowing that Hannah’s difficulties would, at least partially, be resolved; Hannah and Elkanah became the parents of the Prophet Samuel, the namesake of our first reading…It is hard to imagine the great strength of Jesus’ presence. The young men immediately followed Jesus’ call to spread the word of God. Can we conceive of personally making this leap of faith if we feel called by God? How will we respond? 4
Don Schwager quotes “Common people on an uncommon mission,” by Eusebius of Caesarea (260/263-340 AD).
"Reflect on the nature and grandeur of the one Almighty God who could associate himself with the poor of the lowly fisherman’s class. To use them to carry out God's mission baffles all rationality. For having conceived the intention, which no one ever before had done, of spreading his own commands and teachings to all nations, and of revealing himself as the teacher of the religion of the one Almighty God to all humanity, he thought good to use the most unsophisticated and common people as ministers of his own design. Maybe God just wanted to work in the most unlikely way. For how could inarticulate folk be made able to teach, even if they were appointed teachers to only one person, much less to a multitude? How should those who were themselves without education instruct the nations?... When he had thus called them as his followers, he breathed into them his divine power, and filled them with strength and courage. As God himself he spoke God’s true word to them in his own way, enabling them to do great wonders, and made them pursuers of rational and thinking souls, by empowering them to come after him, saying: 'Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people' (Mark 1:17, Matthew 4:19). With this empowerment God sent them forth to be workers and teachers of holiness to all the nations, declaring them heralds of his own teaching." (excerpt from PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 3.7)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 1:14-20 notes that in today’s Gospel, we see Peter, James, John, and Andrew all drop what they were doing to follow Jesus. One invitation from him, and they spring into action, much like the way parents spring into action at the sound of their children. How did that happen?
Of course, we don’t know what made the disciples so responsive to Jesus’ call. But we do know that they were willing to follow him, haltingly at first, but more and more faithfully as the years went by. This mirrors our own experience. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more he finds his way into our hearts. Our bond with him deepens. We become more convinced of his love for us, and his will for us becomes sweeter and more attractive. Most important, we begin to love him back. We find that he has captivated our hearts, and we become more willing to move when he calls us.
Jesus has a beautiful plan for you; come close to him today and let him help you embrace it more deeply.6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the sense of being cursed that sometimes was attributed to barren women in biblical texts. The natural talent of fishermen to gather becomes transformed to being “fishers of people”. Friar Jude reminds us of the teaching of Paul in Corinthians that our talents are transformed by God to be used for the good of the community.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that words action and contemplation aptly describe the two dancing polarities of our lives. In classic Christian philosophy, Thomas Aquinas and many others stated that the highest form of spiritual maturity is not action or contemplation, but the ability to integrate the two into one life stance—to be service-oriented contemplatives or contemplative activists. By temperament we all tend to come at it from one side or the other.
if personal growth is still our focus, I do not think we are contemplative yet. True transformation demands that we shed ourselves as the central reference point. Jesus said, “Unless the single grain of wheat dies, it remains just a single grain,” and it will not bear much fruit (John 12:24). Self-help and personal growth are not of themselves the open field of grace where we move beyond self-preoccupation.
An exalted self-image of “I am a spiritual person” is far too appealing to the ego. I am afraid it’s not uncommon in the religious world for “innerness” to become disguised narcissism and overly self-serving. Thomas Merton (1915–1968) even warned against confusing an introverted personality with being a contemplative. [1] They are two different things. The introvert finds solitude quite comfortable, while the mystic and hermit use solitude to discomfort themselves.
Having said that, I’ll point out the other side of the problem. Too much activism without enough inner work, insight, or examination of conscience inevitably leads to violence—to the self, to the project at hand, and invariably to others. If too much inner focus risks narcissism and individualism, too much outer focus risks superficiality, negativity (passing for love of justice), and various messiah complexes7
Fr Richard aptly concludes today sharing that we need both inner communion and outer service to be “Jesus” in the world! The job of religion is to help people act effectively and compassionately from an inner centeredness and connection with God. The need to be right is not love.
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