ANO ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA?

Reflections on 2 SM 7:4-17  /  MarK 4:1-20

By Frank Savadera, SJ

The Book of Samuel stretches a long way from the time of Hannah, the mother of Samuel; to the anointing of Saul, David killing Goliath, Saul pursuing David because of his jealousy, David cutting off a part of Saul’s cloak (habang umiihi si Saul sa kweba); David being anointed king and he enters Jerusalem.  We even have a depiction of dancing and making offerings to the ark of the covenant.  And now ... sundan ang susunod na kabanata.  What’s next?  How will the next chapters of the book unfold?

In Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel David was lying and resting in his palace and telling himself:   `See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.'  He therefore set out to build a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the covenant.  Yahweh’s response to David ... in today’s reading is quite amusing.   You know ... I’ve been going around in a tent.  Did I ever request for a house built for me?  You will not build me a house.  It is I who will build a house for you.  How will this story continue to unfold.  Ano ang susunod na kabanata? 

I think ... and specifically for us, we are asked the same question:  Ano ang susunod na kabanata?  What next?  How will the next chapters of the book unfold?  For us, I think it is important to note the Lord’s message to David:  It is not you who will build a house for me.  Instead, it is I who will build a house for you.  And what house is this ... you may ask?  It is not a physical house! 

For our purposes ... let’s call it a HERITAGE or a LEGACY.  This is going to be a heritage ... a house and a legacy that will stand forever.  I will make myself known as a father to your offspring.  I will correct them if they make a mistake.  MOST IMPORTANT:  I WILL NOT WITHDRAW FROM YOUR HOUSE THE FAVOR I WITHDREW from David.  Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

As we ask ourselves:  Ano ang susunod na kabanata?  I think we can derive great consolation from a God ... who BUILDS his house IN US (we know that this house is not merely a building).  He also makes a promise of his CONTINUED FAVOR.  This makes the Psalms more meaningful:  For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.  How is the lord FORTIFYING that house which He Himself had started to build?

It amazes me to note a small detail in the Gospel.  I don’t even know why it was even mentioned.  It may seem like an insignificant thing.  Before Jesus recounts the story of the Sower of the seeds,  he sat on the boat by the sea and everyone gathered on land ... by the sea.   He taught them at length about the parables.  Lesson:  We receive teachings, we hear the Lord and learn from Jesus each time when we are between LAND and SEA.  What do we mean?  Simply:  I think God’s speaks strongly to us when we are between LAND and SEA ... when we are discerning to SAIL to new and undiscovered lands or simply staying put secure ON LAND.  God speaks when we are between LAND and SEA.

This makes the Gospel meaningful.  What do we make out of the word that we hear?    God’s word may simply be eaten up by the birds or wilted by the sun or choked by the rocks or thorns.  HAVE WE HEARD THE WORD OF GOD?  WHAT WILL THE WORD OF GOD BE FOR US?  Will we ever even get to hear it?  And ACCEPT it?  Those who hear and accept the word of God will bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 

We pray for each other as we ask ourselves:  WHAT’S NEXT?  ANO ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA?  How will the next chapters unfold?  It is not us who is building a house for God ... He constantly builds his house and presence within our hearts.

God speaks to us most strongly when we are between LAND and SEA ... that is, when we are choosing between SAILING or simply staying put securely where we are.

Lastly, there’s a CHALLENGE ... to ACCEPT the WORD of God ... as it comes ... and we know if we accepted it so ... since we will forever be FRUITFUL.

GETTING INTO ORDINARY TIME

Reflections on 1 SaMuel 15:16-23 / MarK 2:18-22
By Frank Savadera, SJ

For those of us who had been going to masses the past days after the Epiphany – there is a STORY LINE that we are following in the readings.   We started with the story of HANNAH, the second wife of Elkinah.  Hannah was getting depressed because of her barrenness.  She would cry and Elkinah assures here:  ISN’T MY LOVE ENOUGH FOR YOU?  Yahweh promised her a son.  She bore a son and a great prophet SAMUEL which means “YAHWEH HEARS.  Yahweh asked Samuel to eventually anoint a King for the scattered tribes of Israel – SAUL the handsomest son of KISH.  Yahweh chose the best.  Saul was the BEST.  

ORDINARY TIME is marked by the RISE and FALL of Kingdoms; the appointments of PROPHETS;  the anointing of Kings;  Kings falling out of favor and eventually being deposed;  a new King rises;  a prophets comes.  ORDINARY TIME  asks us to reflect on the ROLLER COASTER RIDE we call LIFE ... our experience of BARRENNESS,  our experiences of TRIUMPHS/ VICTORIES and even FALLENNESS – our sinfulness/ weakness.  We are called to REVIEW the VERY ORDINARY LIVES that we live.  HOW HAS GOD BEEN PRESENT THERE? 

  

Every step of the way in ORDINARY LIFE, we are asked to DISCERN how God is calling me at this particular time of my life.  I would like to believe that we are in different stages in life right now.  It’s so easy to GET STUCK in what we were doing in the past.  We can say:  It was working before and so perhaps it will still work today.  Is this true?  We are asked to DISCERN God’s calling for me at this particular stage in my life today.  There was a time I’ve realized that I can just do everything by myself, accomplish things for myself, reap the harvest for myself.  NOW ... I continue to realize that I’m asked to build communities, gather people together, speak to more people about God ... so that God’s word can even be more spread.  Collaboration, in terms of work ... so that God’s work can be done more efficiently.  MENTORING.  INSPIRING others.   What was working for me before in terms of ministry, no longer works for me today.  I will exhaust myself if I insist on doing the old paradigms of life.    In your case, how are you discerning God’s call for you at this particular stage in your life.  

Ordinary time – CALLS US TO NEWNESS.  Everything ought to be NEW ... we are not to sew unshrunk cloth unto old cloak nor pour new wine into old wines skins.  It will cause us DISASTER.  We are called to DISCERN how God is calling us in this stage of our lives.  How are we called to welcome NEWNNESS, a sense of starting something NEW again.  MIXED feelings?  EXCITEMENT and ANXIETY?  Isn’t God’s LOVE and PRESENCE enough for you?  For us?  A SENSE of WHAT TRULY IS IMPORTANT at this stage in my life.

Lastly ... something about SACRIFICE.  We may mistake the readings today as speaking against sacrifices.  In our first reading, Saul and his men offered sacrifice and the sacrifice was REJECTED by Yahweh.  In the Gospel, the Pharisees were asking why Jesus apostles’ do not fast and make sacrifices?  SACRIFICES remain IMPORTANT.  We have our individual DEVOTIONS... Nazareno – people walking on their knees and bare feet;  Santo Nino – dancing in the streets and waving their hands. 

What is the context of our sacrifices?  Why do we sacrifice?  Why did Yahweh REJECT the sacrifice of Saul?  Or the piety of the PHARISEES in our Gospel?  A valuable note from Pope Francis:  Do we turn to God only to ask him for things, to thank him?” Or rather, do we “also turn to him to worship him?”

Worshipping God  means learning to be with him” and not simply “trying to dialogue with him.” It is “sensing that his presence is the most true, the most good, the most important thing of all.”  God’s presence TRANSFORMS.  Remain in God and allow God to remain in us ... to transform us to the creatures, the children he wants us to be.

WE ARE CALLED TO REFLECT ON THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE we call LIFE.  HOW IS IT TO ENTER INTO THE ORDINARINESS OF LIFE?  HOW HAS GOD ASSURED US OF HIS PRESENCE.

HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY AT THIS STAGE IN MY LIFE.  HOW DO I DISCERN MY CALL AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE?

SACRIFICE -  remaining in God and allowing God to remain in us ... and STRUGGLING with that.  Isn’t that the sacrifice that is asked from us, a kind that TRANSFORMS US to better persons and better children of God.