Providence and Prayer

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to consider our approach to prayer and the mystical aspect of our relationship to Christ in the events of life.

Prayer Place

The Reading from the First Book of Samuel presents Hannah’s Prayer.

* [1:11] No razor...: the Septuagint adds “he shall drink neither wine nor liquor.” This addition is a further suggestion that Samuel is dedicated to God under a nazirite vow (Nm 6:4–5); see note on v. 22.

* [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 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the response from the First Book of Samuel, Hannah declares her heart exults in the Lord.

* [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.

* [2:3] Speak ... mouths: addressed to the enemies mentioned in v. 1. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark proclaims Jesus Cure of a Demoniac.

* [1:21–45] The account of a single day’s ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum (Mk 1:21–31) combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus’ teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes. The narrative continues with events that evening (Mk 1:32–34; see notes on Mt 8:14–17) and the next day (Mk 1:35–39). The cleansing in Mk 1:40–45 stands as an isolated story.

* [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.

* [1:24–25] The Holy One of God: not a confession but an attempt to ward off Jesus’ power, reflecting the notion that use of the precise name of an opposing spirit would guarantee mastery over him. Jesus silenced the cry of the unclean spirit and drove him out of the man.

* [1:24] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. (Mark, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock notes that Jesus met with resistance from the first. A man possessed by an unclean spirit called out “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”

I ask myself: What have I to do with Jesus? Who is He to me? Do I know Him truly as the Holy One of God? Yes, He will destroy evil in  the end, I believe. But His desire for  us is not destruction, but life. Abundant life. Fully alive. To be the me who was created to be just that - me. Not some person perfect in all respects, but perfectly me. As St. Irenaeus said “The glory of God is man fully alive.”  Woman, too.

May this year foster growth in me to fulfill God’s will for me at my creation. To realize what gifts He has given me that I may use to bring light and life to others. To not just say prayers but to listen silently for God’s loving response. To sit at His knee and wonder. (Braddock, n.d.)

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) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:9-20 comments we don’t always get exactly what we are asking for. Not every parent who prays for a child will conceive one; not everything that we long for will come in the way we were expecting it. However, with prayerful reflection over time, we begin to see the many blessings that the Lord has given us. It’s true that God answers in his own time, even though we may feel that we are running out of patience.

Take heart! Your heavenly Father longs to hear your prayers and petitions. He wants you to come into his presence, just as Hannah did, and pour out your heart. And as you do, he will pour out his mercy on you.

Remember that God is always listening. He loves you. He has great blessings in store for you. He has a good plan for your life. So come to him with an open heart, ready to receive whatever he wants to give you. And one day, in this life or in the next, you will join Hannah and proclaim: “My heart exults in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1).

“Lord, I know that you hear my prayers. Help me to trust in you.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:9-20, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that 1 Samuel tells of Hannah at the sanctuary and how she prays to God to remove her curse and she will give birth to her son, Samuel. The Lord listens, and she will dedicate Samuel to the Lord. Eli approves of her prayer even after misjudgement of her state and intention, a message perhaps to us. Mark, at the beginning of the Gospel, presents Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom through action. The demons, as spiritual creatures, recognize Jesus. He is establishing the Kingdom of God where the Evil One will have no power over us. Friar Jude notes we will know God in the depth of our hearts.

Jennifer Garcia Bashaw and Aaron Higashi authors of Serving Up Scripture: How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself and Others comment that the second creation story in Genesis contradicts much of the first. They show how both are needed.

In addition to the chapters’ portrayals of God, the stories flatly contradict each other in their orders of creation. In Genesis 1, vegetation is created before animals, then animals are created before men and women, who are made at the same time. But in Genesis 2:4 and following, Adam is created before any vegetation, then animals are created before Eve.…

In many ways, the Bible does us a favor by beginning with two contradictory stories. In so doing, the Bible signals to us at the outset what this text actually is: a diverse collection of religious traditions that have been brought together by different communities of faith over a long period of time…. When you read the Bible, you’re reading an anthology of ancient religious literature—not a textbook, not an instructional manual, not a love letter from God, and not a complete work of systematic theology. (Garcia Bashaw & Higashi, n.d.)

We contemplate the action of the Spirit in our lives to reveal the reality of our Creation that extends beyond what our five senses initially present to us.

References

Braddock, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-13-2026 

Garcia Bashaw, J., & Higashi, A. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-gift-of-two-stories/ 

Mark, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?21 

Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:9-20. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/13/1479145/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/1 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/2 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Taught with Authority. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 13, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Proclaim Our Blessing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the gifts we have received and what action we can take to celebrate and share our blessings with others.

Share our Blessings

In the Reading from the First Book of Samuel, Hannah Presents Samuel to the Lord.

 [1:24] Ephah: see note on Is 5:10. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from 1 Samuel proclaims Hannah’s appeal to  God.

* [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. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents The Canticle of Mary.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments that there can be only one Annunciation, but that does not mean that God does not talk to us each and every day. Again, maybe not as dramatic as the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, but the voice is there, urging, consoling, and inspiring us. The problem is, we are often too busy to take the time to listen to what God has planned for us. For God truly sees great things in each of us.

So, as we near the end of this wonderful season of Advent, let each of us try to slow down our all-too-hectic lives. And, with purpose, let us create more time to spend with God in prayer and meditation so we can hear God’s voice and all the wonderful things he has planned for us. Let us hear again and again of God’s endless love for us and then demonstrate that love by the lives we live in service to God and others.

Maybe, just maybe, by doing less we can become more. More Christ-like in how we live our lives in thanksgiving for the wonderful gifts we have received. (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Mary preaches the new kingdom,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28 comments that when it comes to our adult children, we may have expectations that they follow a certain path for their lives. So maybe we can acknowledge that God might have a different plan for them.

You can take a similar approach to other aspects of your life. For example, you might acknowledge that your money, like everything else in this world, belongs to God, so you can decide to listen for his guidance on where and how to spend it. Or you can look at the way you spend your free time. Especially during this season, you could offer more time to loved ones or someone you know who is lonely. 

None of us will give to God exactly the same gift that others will. But like Hannah, each of us can offer him a gift that comes from the heart.

“Here I am, Father! I offer back to you every good gift you have given me!” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments were not available at publication time.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us that God created us out of love, for love. Fr. Mike also points out where the Catholic Church draws her doctrine on the difference between mortal and venial sin, as well as what St. Paul means when he teaches that there is only "one mediator" between God and man. Today's readings are 1 John 4-5, 1 Timothy 1-3, and Proverbs 30: 24-28.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites the twentieth-century English mystic Caryll Houselander who said, “Christ is everywhere; in Him every kind of life has a meaning and has an influence on every other kind of life.” [1]  

In our time, however, this deep mode of seeing must be approached as something of a reclamation project. After the Western and Eastern Churches separated in the Great Schism of 1054, we in the West gradually lost this profound understanding of how God has been liberating and loving all that is. Instead, we gradually limited the Divine Presence to the single body of Jesus, when perhaps it is as ubiquitous as light itself—and uncircumscribable by human boundaries.    

If my own experience is any indication, discovering Christ as the transcendent within of every “thing” in the universe can transform the way we perceive and the way we live in our everyday world. It can offer us the deep and universal meaning that Western civilization seems to lack and long for today. It has the potential to reground Christianity as a natural religion and not one based on a special revelation, available only to a few lucky enlightened people.   

As G. K. Chesterton expressed, our religion is not the church we belong to, but the cosmos we live inside of. [2] Once we know that the entire physical world around us, all creation, is both the hiding place and the revelation place for God, this world becomes home, safe, enchanted, offering grace to any who look deeply. I call that kind of deep and calm seeing “contemplation.”   (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Wisdom of the Spirit to reveal how our soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord as we journey through our time in the physical world.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1? 

Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28. (n.d.). Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/12/22/1449475/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/1?24 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/2?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/christ-in-every-thing/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-december-22-2025 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Joyful Expectation of the Messiah. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/