Homily: First Tuesday of Ordinary Time
First Tuesday of Ordinary Time (1 Samuel 1:9-20) “Who Makes Choices for Me?”
When we are in ordinary time, we read certain cycles of readings. We could say that we begin the Davidic cycle of readings today because the story of King David begins with the Prophet Samuel. Samuel had a miraculous birth, and we hear about it in the Old Testament reading at Mass.
As Americans it is hard for us to relate to the idea that certain people have specific roles to play in life, and those roles are predestined. We like to believe we choose our own course. Samuel had a specific purpose in his life and his mother made even more choices for him.
Hannah (Samuel’s mother) was barren, and she prayed for a son. In Biblical times it was a shameful thing if a woman could not have children. Hannah went to Shiloh which was considered a holy site to pray for a child. Eli, the priest, thought Hannah was drunk or crazy as she fervently prayed, but Hanna would not be dissuaded.
She made a deal with God. She swore to God that if he gave her a son, she would dedicate the child to the Lord. In fact, if it were a boy, he would take a Nazarite vow for life. A Nazarite was supposed to dedicate themselves to the Lord for life. They were never to drink alcohol. They were never to shave any part of the hair on their head. For that reason, a Nazarite was readily identifiable. Usually, this vow was to be temporary.
There were three men in the Bible that had a lifelong Nazarite vow. Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist were Nazarites their whole life. All of them were born under unusual circumstances.
What does this say to all of us? We could say that the stories of these men prove that we all have been chosen. The question is whether we choose to try to follow God’s plan for us or not.
Very often, we ignore God’s wishes for us, and we try to exert our own will in all things. Jesus gave all of us a general code of conduct for example. How often we ignore that code and how often does that lead to unhappiness and instability in life.
Reflection Questions:
- Does God have a plan for me in my life? If so, how do I know what it is?
- Did my parents have plans for me? Did I resent those plans?
Dear Parishioners,
We are now in ordinary time. Ordinary time is marked by the dark and cold of winter. This can be a depressing time of year. It is a challenge to care of oneself, and to try to remain healthy. There can be a tendency to pull back, to retreat into our cave and not come out.
One of the ways to get started in the morning is to attend daily Mass. It is a spiritual help that can benefit us greatly. Jesus gave very few direct commands, but one of them was regarding Eucharist. “Do this in memory of me.” It is a new year maybe it is time to begin a new spiritual practice.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark