January 15, 2014

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 307
Reading 1 1 SM 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.

Samuel is the child was born to Hannah. During that time revelations from God were not frequent.

One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

After Samuel was born, Hannah kept her word and gave them back to God. She andHelkinah, her husband, took him to the Temple and handed him over to Eli, the high priest.

One day, when Eli was asleep, the word of God came to Samuel.

Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.

Young Samuel thought that Eli was calling him. But you I said, "I didn't call you, go back to bed."

Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”

The word of God came to Samuel three times. And three times.  Eli told him to go back to bed.

Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Then Eli understood that it was God calling Samuel. So he said to him, the next time your name, simply respond, "speak Lord your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.

Samuel grew up and God was with him. All his prayers were answered. All of Israel knew that Samuel was God's prophet.

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:2 AND 5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Jesus Christ, the son of God, is the true prophet whose every prayer God, the Father answers. It is he, who, before all time first said, "here am I, Lord. I come to do your will."

Gospel MK 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

Simon, a.k.a. St. Peter, was married. On this occasion, his mother-in-law fell ill. When Jesus came to visit, she took him by the hand and she was healed. Being a typical mother she wasted no time in serving the Lord and all those who came with him as Simon's guests. her

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

In the evening, the townspeople brought all of their ill family members and friends to Simon's doorstep. And Jesus cured them.

Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee.

Early in the morning, Jesus went to a deserted place to pray. St. Peter and the apostles came looking for him. And he said, "let us go to nearby villages and preach the good news. This is the reason why I have come."