WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10, 2024
WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20
Mark 1:29-39
JESUS CAME WITH GREAT SENSE OF HIS MISSION AND DOING THINGS NEW
The kind of zeal that greeted the activities of our Lord Jesus Christ as expressed by the evangelists can only be imagined. Even before his public ministry started, the gospel of Luke had hinted us of how the child Jesus was lost in Jerusalem at the feast and how the mother and father went out to look for him and later found him in the midst of the elders and scribes teaching and answering questions. And Jesus had indicated to his parents that he had to be about his Father’s business, even when his time had not come.
Now that his public ministry had begun, we now find his zeal very strong, his work very urgent and his desire to fulfill all very intense. Jesus began doing things differently.
He began to do things that are new, strange to people, dear to their hearts, by showing love and compassion, bringing happiness, comfort and joy to the people. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed lepers and drove out demons. These were very new things in the life of the people, a different kind of approach to peoples plight and problems, and another kind of treatment to situations around him.
The gospel talks about these healings administered by Jesus today. The mother in law of Peter was one of them. And many others followed at the same time.
And the new things he did was to heal without being asked, to cure all that came to him, restore the lives of all who needed it and also kept torch with God in prayer, by getting into prayer at intervals and during the night. He was observed to be quiet, resolute, ready to work and ever dedicated with great zeal and commitment to his mission.
We find the mother in law of Peter responding adequately to the healing mercies, the zeal transmitted to her. She got herself together after being healed and began serving him, preparing their food, and serving them as much as they needed her services.
In the call of Samuel, we observed another way of responding to God’s call. And it portends the need to respond adequately to God’s call. Remember that Samuel was already working in the house of God in Shiloah before he received his call to serve. And even when he eventually received his call, he was not able to recognize who was calling him until he was directed by Eli and given the mentorship to respond properly to this call.
Our response to the call of God must be real, actual and personal. It must be convincing and direct. We may be needing mentors to direct and instruct us as Eli did. Human agents are used to help great men grow before they take mantle of leadership on their proper mission.
That should also be our response to the healing, to the mercies and to the love of God. We must not just marvel at these works of our God but we must be filled with the desire to respond by working for God, living and serving others, investing in the people and mission of Christ. But it also calls for quiet prayers, dedication to prayer life and liturgical services. On these two hinges the responds we must adequately give to the call of God, which are great zeal working and dedicated prayerful disposition.
Heavenly Father, you Son Jesus came with great zeal, commitment and newness of life with desire of doing things differently. He worked trusting in you and zealous in mission. Grant us we pray the same spirit of purpose in life and callings. May we be zealous in responding to the call of God. May we always depend and trust in your providence and actions and submit ourselves to your counsels and directions through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
