(Optional Memorial for Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
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| “The Calling of St Peter and St Andrew” by Jacob Willemsz. De Wet, the Elder, c.1650 |
Reading I: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh ,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:1-8
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel, using stories about Samuel, Saul, and David describe a one hundred year period of sacred history. This introductory passage speaks the genealogy of Samuel’s father and of the early life of his mother and family. Though Hannah was favored by her husband, she could bear him no children. This was seen at the time, at least by her rival, Peninnah, as a punishment from God. For his part, Elkanah, her husband, attempted to console her, reminding her to look at her call as his wife.
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
Psalm 116 is a song of thanksgiving. This selection is an individual prayer and promise to God. The singer understands that the Lord is their salvation. A little confusing is: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” The meaning is that the death of God's faithful is painful to God, not that God is pleased with the death.
This selection from Psalm 116 also recalls the Passover ritual, referring to the “cup of salvation.” The psalm rejoices in God’s saving works in releasing the people from their bondage.
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Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee ,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
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Commentary on Mk 1:14-20
It is noteworthy to observe that all of the Gospel accounts show Jesus beginning his public ministry after the active ministry of St. John the Baptist has ended. The “Voice” decreases while the “Word” increases (see John 3:30). We see the charismatic power of the Lord in the call of the first disciples from St. Mark’s Gospel. They follow him without inducement beyond his simple invitation to follow him. It is also notable that three of these first four, Simon, James, and John, develop the closest relationships with the Lord of all the disciples. From other Gospel sources (John 1:35-42), we know that at least Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist and would have shared Jesus' status with his brother, Simon (Peter).
CCC: Mk 1:15 541, 1423, 1427; Mk 1:16-20 787
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Reflection:
Can we imagine the thoughts of the true man Jesus who walks into the Jordan, and upon coming out hears the voice of God pronouncing him, in a formal way, to be his son. The man, Jesus was not quite ready to go into the world on his Father’s mission. First he had to be tested in the desert and defeat his enemy by rejecting temptation.
Once this was done, he had a huge task in front of him. He was charged with bringing the whole world to God, his Father. To do this he needed help. He needed help because, as the great prophets had seen, the Son of God would be rejected, persecuted, and would offer his life for the life of the world. When he had fulfilled this mission, he would return to the Father. He needed others to take the work forward on earth.
Again, putting ourselves into the mind of Christ the true man, he would have returned from the desert and begun to look for worthy disciples to which he could entrust God’s great plan. He would have looked for men to do this as his Father had chosen the vessel to carry him in the womb. He did not choose kings, princes, or even the chief priests and scribes. He chose men who were humble, faith filled, and who feared the Lord. It was no accident that Saints Peter, Andrew, and Zebedee’s sons, James, and John were called first. The Lord may have even recognized Saint Andrew. It is quite possible that Andrew was at the Jordan with Saint John the Baptist when the Lord approached him to be baptized. He was, after all, one of John’s disciples first.
What is remarkable to us was not just that all these working men said yes, rather it was that the did so immediately; even to the point where James and John left their father right in the middle of processing the day’s labor. The Lord did not promise them fame, fortune, or even comfort. All he said was: ““Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
With this message starting our short sojourn in Ordinary Time, we must ask ourselves: what must the Lord do for us to get us to take up his call? We have much more knowledge of what we are getting ourselves into. We can see what can be gained from it? Shouldn’t we be jumping at the chance to further God’s plan? What is holding us back?
Today our prayer is this: that we will clearly hear Jesus’ call to us and understand what he wishes us to do. We pray also that our hearts be open to sacrifice comfort and wealth for his sake, as those first disciples did. May this year be one in which we make giant strides for the Kingdom of God
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Calling of St Peter and St Andrew” by Jacob Willemsz. De Wet, the Elder, c.1650.
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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