A Lesson From Hannah

A reflection on the first Mass reading for January 15 (1Sm 1:9-20) by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.

We all look for the meaning of suffering and grief in our lives, and today the first reading about Hannah gives an answer. She explains to Eli that she is praying because of her "deep sorrow and misery" (1Sm 1:16)-- in other words, sorrow prompts us to pray, to seek God. And what I love about Hannah is, once she's done praying, it's over. She eats, smiles-- she leaves her grief at the altar. She changes her way of looking at the situation. She trusts that her prayer will be answered according to God's will.

What a lesson for us! We are in and out of the chapel all day, and sometimes I think we go and lay everything down, but as soon as we leave we pick it all up again and say, "I'm still worried about it!" Hannah wasn't pregnant when she left, but that wasn't the point. She trusted.

Hearing God's Voice

A reflection on the Mass readings for January 14 (1 Sm 1:9-20 and Mk 1:21-28) by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.

We hear in the book of Samuel today how Hannah's husband loved her even though she was barren. Who could hear this reading and not be touched? We all know that it isn't always those who have the most who are the dearest to us. We should all have somewhere in our lives God saying to us "Am I not more to you than ten sons, i.e. than whatever you love the most?"

And in today's Gospel I noticed that when we hear God's call, it's never convenient. The poor father of James and John was probably thinking, "Huh?" Inconvenience is one of the surest signs of the voice of God.