Mk 1:29-39 Starting A New Tradition

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
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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." 

Everyone is looking for you.  Unfortunately, this is not true.  There may have been a lot of people searching for the Lord, but not "everyone."  Don't tell me there were no people back then, who, no matter what great things Jesus did, weren't highly skeptical - if not downright critical - of Him. 

Let's be safe and say a lot of people were looking for the Lord, and when they found Him they found Him praying. 

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.  Soon after praying her eyes out before the Lord, Hannah conceived and bore a son and named him Samuel.  He grew to be a strong minister of the Lord.  But as today's first reading points out, "a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent" (Sam 3:1) during those days.  So when the Lord called out to Samuel in his sleep, the young man didn't recognize the Lord's voice.  Twice Samuel went to his mentor, Eli, and twice his mentor told him to go back to sleep.  Finally, after the third try, Eli understood it was the Lord who was calling Samuel.  He instructed the lad to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (cf. Sam 3:1-10).

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.  I need to take time to pray.  The Lord prayed, even if it meant waking up very early in the morning.  Hannah prayed, even if it meant praying through her suffering and tears.  Samuel prayed, even if he heard absolutely nothing. 

Prayer is essential in order to fulfill the heart's greatest desire:  to do the Father's will. 

How glorious it would be for all of us to wake up every morning and say, "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will." 

Let's make this a new year's resolution.  Let's start doing it today.