“Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.” – 1 Samuel 8:7

Have you experienced rejection after obeying the voice of God in your heart? I have, not just once, but a number of times. I also know of other men and women in the Bible who said yes to God and because of this, they were rejected.

       God comforts Samuel in the verse above as the people of Israel rejected him even after warning them of the bad and painful things that could happen to them and their families.

       This story reminds me of a time when I stood before an assembly who chose to reject me as their leader after I decided to follow God’s voice in my heart. I praised God for the courage and strength He gave me to accept the rejection of the very people I had served and helped. I thanked God for speaking words of affirmation to me then and for inspiring me to recall and follow Jesus’ example when He, too, was rejected by a crowd. “It is not you they reject as their leader but Me.” Those were God’s words to me.

       Are you also a reject? Don’t be discouraged. We’re in good company. Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag (teregmps@yahoo.com)

Reflection: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Lord Jesus, may Your example of courage and strength to stand by the Father’s will and command, even in the face of rejection, inspire me to do the same when I am put in a similar situation.

St. Anthony, abbot, pray for us.

Samuel is scandalized by the Israelites’ desire for a king to rule over them. The people have seen how successful the nations around them have been, both militarily and economically, and attribute these successes to their being monarchical kingdoms. Therefore they want a king for Israel. Samuel believes that God is the true King of Israel and, thus, their desire for an earthly king is tantamount to religious treason.

4 All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.” 6 Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the Lord, however, 7 who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.” 10 Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. 11 He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. 12 He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. 15 He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. 17 He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” 19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us. 20 We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the Lord, 22 who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”

15 [16] Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O Lord, they walk. 16 [17] At your name they rejoice all the day, and through your justice they are exalted. (R) 17 [18] For you are the splendor of their strength, and by your favor our horn is exalted. 18 [19] For to the Lord belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel, our King. (R)

Jesus is often in conflict with the religious authorities of His day as He claims to have the power of God in many different ways. One of these is forgiving the sins of the people. Jesus is aware that He is the Son of God and that all good Jews would acknowledge that only God can forgive sins. Even though it makes His life uncomfortable, Jesus never takes a backward step from any of His claims. How convinced are we of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith?

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 8 Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” — 11 he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” 12 He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Matthew 7-9 

TAKING CHRIST’S WORDS LITERALLY

The St. Anthony that the Church honors today is not so well known. I invite you to have a look at his life. He lived between 251 and 356, and was 105 years old when he died, in spite of a very ascetic life in the Egyptian desert.

       Anthony was the son of wealthy parents and so lived his early years in luxury. When he was 18 years old, his parents died and he was left to take care of the estate and of his sister. One Sunday, when he attended Mass, the Gospel was about the rich young man, to whom Jesus said, “Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor.” Young Anthony was struck by these words. He felt as if the Lord had spoken to him personally. He left the church and did literally what Jesus had said. He sold all his inheritance and donated the proceeds to the poor. He kept just a bit for himself and for his sister. On another Sunday, when he heard Jesus saying in the Gospel, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow,” he regretted his concession to prudence. He brought his sister to a convent, gave up all he still had, and dedicated himself completely to God by living a life of prayerful austerity in the desert.

       There are at least two points that St. Anthony makes us aware of. One is to listen well to the Gospel as if it were proclaimed just for you. After all, our four Gospels are not just reports of what Jesus did and said more than 2,000 years ago; Jesus is addressing us who read or listen to His words. The Bible is God’s living Word for us! This attitude towards the Gospel would change and improve our spiritual life, even our whole lifestyle.

       A second point is the demonic attacks. Anthony’s spiritual life appears to be a matter of psychological warfare. The enemy is not the world but the temptation to worldliness, to pleasure, complacency and pride. These demons attack us also today to divert our attention from God and from a life lived according to the Gospel. It would be good to recognize these modern demons and reject them with the same decisiveness that helped Anthony win his victory. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your attitude when the Gospel is read in Church? Do you feel hit by God’s Word or do you just hear but not listen?

Lord, I simply ask You for the wisdom to listen to Your Word as addressed to me, and the strength to do what You tell me and fight all temptations to worldliness.