The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to meditate on our trust in the Will of God for our lives.
Prayer on our Way
The reading from the First Book of Samuel introduces Hannah’s prayer at Shiloh as noticed by Eli.
* [1:20] Samuel: Hannah’s explanation associates her son’s name with the narrative’s wordplay on the Hebrew verbs s’l (“ask,” vv. 17, 27), his’il (“hand over, dedicate,” v. 28), sa’ul (“dedicated,” v. 28), and the noun se’elah (“request,” vv. 17, 27). The name, however, is related to the Hebrew root s’l only through assonance. It means “his name is El/God,” not “the one requested of or dedicated (sa’ul) to God” (v. 28), which is the meaning of the name Saul. The author may have lifted the s’l wordplay from a narrative about Saul to portray Samuel as God’s gracious answer to Hannah’s request.1
The response from Chapter 2 of the First Book of Samuel is Hannah’s Prayer of thanksgiving.
* [2:1–10] Hannah appeals to a God who maintains order by keeping human affairs in balance, reversing the fortunes of the arrogant, who, like Peninnah, boast of their good fortune (vv. 1, 3, 9) at the expense of those like Hannah who receive less from the Lord. Hannah’s admission places her among the faithful who trust that God will execute justice on their behalf. The reference “his king…his anointed” (v. 10) recalls the final sentence of the Book of Judges and introduces the kingship theme that dominates the Books of Samuel.2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus frees a man with an unclean spirit.
* [1:23] An unclean spirit: so called because of the spirit’s resistance to the holiness of God. The spirit knows and fears the power of Jesus to destroy his influence; cf. Mk 1:32, 34; 3:11; 6:13.3
Cindy Murphy McMahon believes Hannah’s prayer is the kind God wants from us. God doesn’t want us to carry our burdens and be sullen and resigned. God wants to give us comfort, compassion, and relationship. She doesn’t believe God is saying that if we pray this way, we will always get what we think we want. In this case, Hannah did, conceiving a son. Instead, Cindy finds comfort in Hannah’s example of how to pray, how to relate to God.
God desires to share our pain, our disappointments. God wants us to know that, and wants to be the first place we turn. God wants us to physically know that the Giver of all gifts is real, and filled with endless compassion, understanding and great love. I believe that even if God had a different plan, and Samuel had not been born, Hannah would have left her time of prayer feeling heard by God and closer to God, and more ready to face the trials of her life. And she would have continued to pray that way, always growing closer to God along the way. May we always do the same.4
Don Schwager quotes “Knowing without loving,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Those words show clearly that the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. They dreaded receiving their punishment from him. They did not love the righteousness that was in him. He made himself known to them to the extent he willed; and he willed to be made known to the extent that was fitting. But he was not made known to them as he is known to the holy angels, who enjoy participation in his eternity, in that he is the Word of God. To the demons he is known as he had to be made known, by striking terror into them, for his purpose was to free from their tyrannical power all who were predestined for his kingdom and glory, which is eternally true and truly eternal. Therefore, he did not make himself known to the demons as the life eternal, and the unchangeable light which illuminates his true worshipers, whose hearts are purified by faith in him so that they see that light. He was known to the demons through certain temporal effects of his power, the signs of his hidden presence, which could be more evident to their senses, even those of malignant spirits, than to the weak perception of human beings. (excerpt from CITY OF GOD 9.21)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:9-20 comments that when a person is suffering like Hannah, has tried every natural remedy, and is out of options, there is no more room for pretense or posturing, no patience left for peaceful waiting. We can imagine that Hannah may have prayed, “God, don’t you care about me?” Perhaps we have muttered those words ourselves.
In your prayer today, or any day, don’t be afraid to “make a scene.” You can be honest about what is on your heart, whether that is suffering or hopes and desires. Follow Hannah’s example and lay them all before the Lord: what hurts, what you were hoping for, what you are afraid of. Pour out your heart to him, and you may notice something. You are creating space to allow God to pour in whatever he wants to give you. It’s as though God is saying, “At last! Now let me pour out my heart to you.” “Lord, you know what is in my heart; I pour it out to you.”6
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the impression of Eli that Hannah was drunk. Hannah’s son Samuel is named as “God has listened”. Friar Jude notes that hearts were touched in a profound way in Capernaum when Jesus' authority cast out the evil spirit.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes about what losing our experience of God as Trinity has cost us. Brazilian liberation theologian Leonardo Boff (b. 1938) writes that even the simple statement, “I believe in God,” offers us an intimate reminder that we are not alone.
To say “I believe in God” means that there is Someone who surrounds me, embraces me everywhere, and loves me, Someone who knows me better than I do myself, deep down in my heart, where not even my beloved can reach, Someone who knows the secret of all mysteries and where all roads lead. I am not alone in this open universe with all my questions for which no one offers me a satisfactory answer. That Someone is with me, and exists for me, and I exist for that Someone and in that Someone’s presence. Believing in God means saying: there exists an ultimate tenderness, an ultimate bosom, an infinite womb, in which I can take refuge and finally have peace in the serenity of love. If that is so, believing in God is worthwhile; it makes us more ourselves and empowers our humanity. [1]7
The loneliness we experience in times of distress finds consolation in our trust in the nearness of Christ to our situation.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment