“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” – 1 Samuel 1:14
ALCOHOLISM AND OTHER ADDICTION
How
many lives have been lost due to drunken driving? How many families
have been destroyed as a result of spouses or parents who have been
unable to keep away from the bottle or from other drug-related props in
their lives?
Have you ever felt terror grip you when somebody you love loses it in a “ blackout “ moment? He’d say, “I don’t remember hurting
you. You’re just making up a story.” Or if that person owns up to the
violent act, he will offer profuse apologies only to do it over and over
again.
Life and death sometimes hang in a balance when a drunk parent, in a
show of braggadocio, insists on driving on an interstate highway,
crisscrossing the lane in the middle of the night.
What’s worse is when he points a gun or a knife at you and all you can
do is pray that he doesn’t pull the trigger or touch your flesh with the sharp blade.
Friend, if you know that a person is an alcoholic or a drug addict,
seek help immediately. Treatment is of utmost urgency — so act now
before lives are lost or families broken. Grace Relucio Princesa
1ST READING
God’s
intervention in Hannah’s life is a sign that nothing is impossible to
God — He can even bring life out of a barren womb. This demonstrates not
just the power of God but indeed His specific power to bring forth new
life. In other words, God is the author of life and any life that we see
around us would not be without His blessing.
1 Samuel 1:9-20
9 Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the Lord; at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10 In her bitterness she prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously, 11 and
she made a vow, promising “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on
the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if
you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord for as
long as he lives; neither wine nor liquor shall he drink, and no razor
shall ever touch his head.” 12As she remained long at prayer before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth, 13 for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking her drunk, 14said to her, “How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” 15 “It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the Lord. 16 Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” 17 Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She
replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left. She went to her
quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared
downcast. 19 Early
the next morning they worshipped before the Lord, and then returned to
their home in Ramah. When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the Lord remembered her. 20 She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the Lord for him.
P S A L M
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8
R: My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
1 “My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.” (R) 4 “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. 5 The
well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on
spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many
languishes.” (R) 6 “The Lord puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.” (R) 8 “He
raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.” (R)
GOSPEL
The
demons immediately recognize who Jesus is. This is more than we can say
for Jesus’ disciples and the Jews in general. As we see in Mark’s
Gospel, apart from the opening lines, the identity of Jesus as the Son
of God is kept hidden from the people. Why does Mark present Jesus in
this way? To tell you the truth, I do not know. Perhaps it is a question
we can all seek to answer as we read through his Gospel.
Mark 1:21-28
21 Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 23 In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; 24 he
cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you
come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” 25 Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” 26 The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. 27 All
were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with
authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” 28 His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
REFLECTION
MEETING ST. MARK
Yesterday,
we began to read from the Gospel according to St. Mark. Let us take a
brief look at his Gospel in order to understand better the messages the
Church will give us in the days to come.
Mark was probably the cousin of the Apostle Barnabas. He was not an
eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry or His death and resurrection, but he
wrote down what he heard from spectators like St. Peter. He wrote his
Gospel for a community in Rome, where Emperor Nero ordered the
persecution of many Christians, among them Sts. Peter and Paul. We can
imagine Christians asking among themselves: Did we make the right
decision to become Christians? What did we get out of it? Only
suffering! Was Jesus really the Messiah and Son of God?
Mark sat down, collected stories he had heard about Jesus, and put them
together to answer their questions. As a title, he wrote: “The
beginning of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” He
stressed that Jesus indeed is the awaited Savior and the Son of God as
well. And that’s “Good News.” But he also selected from the teachings of
Jesus, especially His words about the cross. He told his community that
Jesus was honest with His followers. He did not promise them heaven on
earth but that whoever decides to follow Him must “take up his cross.”
Mark emphasized that they were following not a fake Messiah but the
powerful Son of God.
In today’s Gospel, Mark presents the exorcism scene in the synagogue.
It convinced those who were present that Jesus was different from other
teachers, that He had an authority even over evil spirits. But the best
thing about Jesus is that He never uses His power to hurt people.
Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God who came into this world not to
dominate but to make God’s love visible. We, too, need to be reminded
that Christ dwells among us and that He is more powerful than the evil
forces around us. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
"Lord, help me to show Your love as You showed Your Father’s love. Help me to follow Your example and use my strength to help others."
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