1ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

If you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord. 

How do you talk to God? In today’s first reading, we see how Hannah prays. For years she has borne the sadness of infertility, along with the stigma that other people have attached to her condition. Now she has had enough, and with honesty and desperation she asks God for a child. She is willing to do anything, including return to God the very son she is asking for, if only God will show her mercy.

What a model Hannah offers us! She comes to God earnestly, in the midst of her troubles. She doesn’t try to make herself look good, and she doesn’t hide her true feelings. She arrives empty-handed and upset, so much so that she appears to be babbling drunkenly. But that doesn’t matter. All she knows is that she wants God to hear her.

And he does exactly that. He showers her with blessings. Not only does he give her a son, but he destines this son—Samuel—to be one of Israel’s most powerful prophets. And to top it off, he blesses Hannah with many more children (1 Samuel 2:21)!

In the face of seemingly unanswered prayers, it’s tempting to move away from God instead of toward him. It’s tempting to give up on him and remain locked in sorrow and frustration. But God does work when we pray. Our prayers may feel inadequate, and our faith may seem too small. But our Father sees to it that no prayer goes unnoticed. No act of faith or trust goes unrewarded. He doesn’t want us to wait until we’ve ironed out all our problems before we come to him. What good would that do anyway? We would have no needs to bring to him!

This is one of the greatest blessings of prayer: you can come to the Lord no matter who you are or what you have done. He welcomes you with open arms, even when you don’t think you deserve it. He loves to hear what is upsetting you, and he loves to offer you his help and his grace. Hannah herself would testify that it’s not always easy to come to the Lord like this. But she will also tell you that it is well worth it!

“Lord, thank you for your generosity. Help me to come to you in humility and honesty.”

1 Samuel 1:9-20
(Psalm) 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8
Mark 1:21-28