The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek the guidance of the Spirit to seek and choose leaders who are shepherds who smell like their sheep.
In the reading from the First Book of Samuel, Saul is chosen to be King.
* [10:1] The sign: the role of the new ruler is confirmed by specific signs; cf. Ex 7:9. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving for Victory.
* [Psalm 21] The first part of this royal Psalm is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8), and the second is a promise that the king will triumph over his enemies (Ps 21:9–13). The king’s confident prayer (Ps 21:3–5) and trust in God (Ps 21:8) enable him to receive the divine gifts of vitality, peace, and military success. Ps 21:14 reprises Ps 21:2. When kings ceased in Israel after the sixth century B.C, the Psalm was sung of a future Davidic king. (Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus calls Levi.
* [2:14] As he passed by: see note on Mk 1:16–20. Levi, son of Alphaeus: see note on Mt 9:9. Customs post: such tax collectors paid a fixed sum for the right to collect customs duties within their districts. Since whatever they could collect above this amount constituted their profit, the abuse of extortion was widespread among them. Hence, Jewish customs officials were regarded as sinners (Mk 2:16), outcasts of society, and disgraced along with their families. He got up and followed him: i.e., became a disciple of Jesus.
* [2:15] In his house: cf. Mk 2:1; Mt 9:10. Lk 5:29 clearly calls it Levi’s house.
* [2:16–17] This and the following conflict stories reflect a similar pattern: a statement of fact, a question of protest, and a reply by Jesus.
* [2:17] Do not need a physician: this maxim of Jesus with its implied irony was uttered to silence his adversaries who objected that he ate with tax collectors and sinners (Mk 2:16). Because the scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous, they were not capable of responding to Jesus’ call to repentance and faith in the gospel. (Mark, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
Jay Carney comments that we are only in the second chapter of Mark, and already Jesus’s Reign of God is flipping the religious status quo on its head.
Today’s readings remind us that appearances can be deceiving. For all of his physical prowess and good looks, King Saul ends up as a tragic, broken, jealous man, abandoned by YHWH and Samuel alike. In contrast, the social outcasts of first-century Galilee end up sharing a table banquet with the true Messiah. Such are the reversals of the Reign of God.
What “reign of God reversal” is God calling you to notice today? (Carney, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “No physician can avoid the arena of sickness,” by Gregory of Nazianzus (330 - 390 AD).
"When Jesus is attacked for mixing with sinners, and taking as his disciple a despised tax collector, one might ask: What could he possibly gain by doing so? (Luke 15:2) Only the salvation of sinners. To blame Jesus for mingling with sinners would be like blaming a physician for stooping down over suffering and putting up with vile smells in order to heal the sick." (excerpt from ORATION 45, ON HOLY EASTER 26) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1 comments that there are times when, like Saul, we may feel as if our circumstances have us wandering aimlessly.
Remember, the Lord goes before you. He is the One who sees your winding road. At every step, he is ready to help you, guide you, and bring you closer to him. He knows you best and loves you the most.
“Lord God, thank you that you know me and have a plan for my life. Help me to trust that you’re with me on my winding path.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that when Saul can’t find the donkeys, he goes to the seer and is anointed and chosen charismatically as the first King of Israel. Jesus shares table hospitality with people the Pharisees considered contagious with sin. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus interacted with sinners as people who were sick and required healing of body and spirit.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Buddhist teacher Oren Jay Sofer who considers how we engage with the world’s suffering. Sofer recommends beginning with the grounding practice of attention.
Contemplative practice is one powerful way to reclaim attention. Rest your attention with an anchor, a home base for meditation such as the breath, a sensation, an image, a sound, or a mantra. An anchor is a primary meditation object to help steady your attention and limit mind-wandering, like an anchor for a ship.… This mental action—recognizing that attention has wandered and then consciously redirecting it—strengthens your capacity to pay attention and develops a host of other skillful qualities, including patience, kindness, and concentration.…
The more you cultivate this quality of attention, the more you build inner resources. I am not encouraging you to avoid the painful realities of life and look only at what’s uplifting. The idea here is to strengthen your capacity to choose what you attend to. Then—when you turn to face pain, distress, and hardship—instead of feeling helpless or demoralized, you will have more energy, confidence, and clarity to meet the challenge. (Rohr, 2024)
We are sometimes very disappointed by the failure of those we choose to lead us to live up to the piety, study, and action that the Spirit inspires in the followers of Jesus.
References
Carney, J. (2024, January 13). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011324.html
Mark, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2?13
Meditation on 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/13/874221/
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/10
Psalms, PSALM 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/21
Rohr, R. (2024, January 13). Engaging with a World on Fire: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/engaging-with-a-world-on-fire-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Sinners Were Sitting with Jesus. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan13
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