(Optional Memorial for Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
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| “The Infant Samuel” by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1776 |
Commentary:
Reading I: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
Commentary on 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song, “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy. (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[4]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle. It turns out to be a punishment upon the family of Eli, whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel's fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
While Psalm 40 is a song of thanksgiving, it is also combined with a lament. The psalmist's faithful anticipation is rewarded by God's favor, shown to one who is steadfast in service to Him. Praise and thanksgiving are given to God whose justice is applied to all. This selection of the Psalm has a teaching or didactic note, as we hear the implied criticism of any who had not turned from false wisdom of pagans, idolatry and sacrifices. God’s harsh justice will be celebrated.
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Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Commentary on Mk 1:29-39
Jesus comes to the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew from Capernaum. He continues to heal the sick and to cast out demons. This episode is somewhat different in that it occurs in a private setting, attended by the three privileged disciples. Scholars speculate that this, like other such accounts (Mark 4:10, 34; 5:37-40; 6:31-32), is an eyewitness report of the Lord’s revelation in the privacy of a home setting.
It is noteworthy that Mark tells us that as Jesus cast out demons, he was “not permitting them to speak because they knew him.” Demons presumably had supernatural powers and were therefore able to recognize the nature of Jesus. Because of this, he silenced them. He did so, it is proposed, because he needed to show the people (and his disciples) that he was not the “Royal Messiah,” but something unexpected.[5] The Gospel tells us that the Lord then went off to a deserted place to pray, and it was only when Simon and his companions came and found him that he continued his mission of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
CCC: Mk 1:35 2602
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Reflection:
As we continue to see Christ revealing the Father’s love for us in scripture in the fullness of his ministry, we also are given an additional insight into his obedience. Taken alone, we might see the Gospel story of Jesus exercising his preaching and healing gifts as an expression of his self-directed salvific mission. Indeed, because of the eternal nature of the Lord, this “purpose” is implicit throughout the period from his Baptism to his Crucifixion.
However, we also are given the story of Samuel’s call. Samuel, who was dedicated from birth to be set aside for service to God, is now a young man in the service of the very priest who spoke to his mother, Hannah. He is the same priest who gave her the Temple blessing on her prayer that she might bear a son. We are told that, in this period of history, encounters with God were rare and the role of the prophets had not yet developed into something recognized easily or expected. It is the priest Eli, after having been awaked three times by Samuel who recognizes the boy has been receiving a call from the Lord God. He tells the boy how to respond. From that point forward the story becomes one of call and response.
When we are given the story of the call of Samuel as a powerful example of how the call of God can be made known, we see that Jesus is also responding to the call of the Father. Although in a different way because he is also true God, Jesus, none the less, is obedient to the Father’s will (we see this most graphically in his prayer in the garden just before the passion).
So the clear lesson we must take from God’s word today is to be alert and open to God’s call. He came to Samuel as a whisper in the night. Because they are of the same essence, God’s will was made known to his Son Jesus very directly. We will probably not be so fortunate as to have the Father’s will about our actions announced to us clearly. This is due, in a large degree, to the fact that when we pray, most of us spend most of our time talking and little time listening.
Today our prayer is this; that we be given the grace to listen patiently and respond to God with zeal and love when he makes our purpose known to us. As his disciples who want to do his will, it is critical that we listen for his voice; whether it comes at night indistinctly in a dream, through a sudden insight driven by the Word of God, or in brilliant flashes of clarity. (We can always hope for the latter.)
Pax
[2] The picture is “The Infant Samuel” by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1776
[4] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 9:14, pp. 166
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 230
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