Title: Meditation: Monday, January 14, 2002
The Catholic Calendar for Monday, January 14, 2002
The First Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Samuel 1:1-8
Psalm 116:12-19
Mark 1:14-20
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." (Mark 1:15)
God called us into being out of nothingness that we might serve Him. We
belong to Him, but we were not created to be mere slaves in His kingdom.
Ours is a self-giving God who desires to share with us a sacred trust.
In our own flesh we are to bear His very life into this world to make
His love and truth known to others through our words and deeds. Only in
this way can God's plan be fulfilled; we are intended to become His
children by adoption, one in being with Him in heart and mind to live in
a world united by His joy and peace.
If we read further in the book of Samuel, we discover that God brought
him forth from Hannah's "barren" womb not only to grant her heart's
desire but also to fulfill His purposes through this child. When the boy
was weaned, she brought him to the Temple to return to God what was
rightfully His.
Christ boldly asked men to abandon everything to participate in His
life-giving mission. We, no less than His Apostles, are also "fishers of
men." This we accomplish by being genuinely Christian, following Christ
by obeying His word out of love for Him, quietly working out the
requirements of our position in life.
Relatively few are called to be evangelists, write theological works,
serve as clergy or religious, yet each of us has a God-given, individual
mission to accomplish which, in God's eyes, is of equal value and
dignity.
Loving Father,
through the working of Your Spirit,
enable us to follow Christ's path of service,
lovingly obedient to Your calling. Amen.
- Marie L. Bocko, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Catholic Bible.
Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
Lives of the Saints: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/
