The reading from Samuel narrates the beginning of the disenchantment with King Saul. He kept the spoils of war that he was told not to keep. Gospel. You know from experience that change is always a problem to us. It calls us away from the security of our ingrained habits and our certainties. And it […]
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2026 will be observed from January 18 to January 25, with the theme “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Details of the celebration may be accessed here. Scroll down the page to
God has his own plans and standards, which are often at variance with our human wisdom. For example, he calls sinners – limited, deficient people – and they are good enough for him to do God’s work, even to be entrusted with a special mission. Saul is taken from an insignificant tribe of God’s people.
“If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own… and come, follow me.” Saint Anthony (251-356) heard these words, gave away what he had and withdrew into the desert, as he thought that this was the place where the evangelical way could be practiced in all its purity. Later Anthony organized monastic
The reading from Samuel is a good example of the strife that results when new times demand new institutions. The tribal structure of Israel had a hard time defending the people, the territory, and the charismatic religious leadership against better-organized neighboring peoples. They too, would need more centralized structures and institutions. But some would hardly
Among the Jews, the Ark of the Covenant was the sign of God’s presence. This is why as the people moved, the ark moved with them. God was where his people were. Also in their clashes with the Philistines, they wanted God to be on their side for their Jihad, their holy war, but they
Today’s first reading tells us the beautiful story of Samuel’s vocation. He is the man attentive to the signs of God’s presence, hearing the inaudible, seeing the invisible, where others do not hear or see anything. He is in contact with God, just as Jesus withdrew to a lonely place to pray. We hear God
Extraordinary vocations are, at times, described in the bible in terms of barrenness, which, through prayer and faith in God’s power, produces life. It underlines God’s gratuitous grace, God’s power and also the difficulty, the struggle of faith, to lead to redemption. Samuel, then became the fruit of prayer and faith in God’s power. Gospel.
A word about the books of Samuel. After the confused times of the settlement in Palestine comes a more stable era with the kings. This period is important because the very vague “salvation” described earlier, – a land of their own for the Hebrews, their growth as a people – turns now into messianism on
Greeting Today, Jesus was baptised in the Jordan; The Father recognized him as his beloved Son; The Holy Spirit prepared him for his mission of service. May the Lord’s Spirit of sonship and service be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant Today, on the feast of the Lord’s baptism,
