The History of the People of God - 1.Time of Need

WORD 2day: Monday, First week in Ordinary time

January 8, 2024 - 1 Samuel 1: 1-8; Mark 1: 14-20

After a long while, we return to Ordinary time of the year! And Ordinary time of the liturgical year can be of great value - as it has its own share of faith formation to offer us. It is important not to lose that programme of formation that the daily Word holds out to us. This week we begin to read from the first book of Samuel and the week would take us through the ordinary history of the people of God. We call it ordinary history because it happens ordinarily to every one; we call it history of the people of God, because this kind of an understanding is in the light of faith, in the light that God sheds on our life and its events. 

The history of the people of God begins with their time of need - the people feel they are in need, they are anguished, that they are helpless. The excellent example given to us is Hannah, the to-be mother of Samuel the great prophet. But here, she is an old mother and called sterile and taunted by her rivals. This is not merely the story of Hannah, but of the people of God who believe in God but live in slavery, while so many other nations around them lived in their power. It could be any of us, who is in need, who is in trouble, who is helpless as to where to turn to for solutions to one's problems. 

Where does the solution lie: in the promises of the Lord. The Lord comes with the eternal promises and that could be the only hope for the people of God. The time is at hand, the Reign of God is near - Jesus announces today! The Reign of God is the fullness of God's will. Our confusions and troubles, our needs and anxieties, can be turned to joy and fulfillment when the Lord steps in. When we admit that and allow that to happen, we become people of God and we begin the grand history as People of God.