From the Pastor - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Speak, for your servant is listening.” With those few words, Samuel humbles himself and declares his loyalty and obedience to God. There are perhaps for many of us challenges in those words. Initially, Samuel responds, “Here I am,” but thinks it was Eli who called him. The idea of being a servant and the willingness to serve are what may be trials for us in terms of how we live.
Samuel does not recognize the voice of the Lord. That, too, might be a problem for us. First, we need to be listening. Are we, or are we merely going through the motions? Responding to God with “Here I am” is a magnificent way to react to God. It is not that God does not know where we are but saying that can serve as a reminder to us that we are stewards and servants to Him, and it implies we are prepared to hear what He wants us to do.
“Here I am” is said numerous times by those in the Old Testament including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and by Ananias in the New Testament. When Jesus says, “Come follow me,” as He does to us, do we hear Him, and even more importantly do we respond, and do we follow?
In order to do that properly we have to be prepared to serve Him and others. Thus, like Samuel, we need to listen, and then we need to serve. At a recent papal audience, Pope Francis said, “Love and charity are service, helping others, serving others. When you forget yourself and think of others, this is love!” © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023
Pastoral Pondering
Over the Christmas break I had a wonderful opportunity to get to know two amazing saints, St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope. Both of them worked in Hawaii and both worked with those suffering with Hansen’s disease (Leprosy). Father Damien volunteered to go to the Leprosy colony at Moloka’i to minister to those who had been exiled there due to the disease. In those days (1860’s) little was known about leprosy and it caused a great deal of fear. Being sent to the peninsula on Moloka’i was, for the most part a death sentence.
Father Damien worked tirelessly to provide the residents with proper housing, sanitation, and care. It was a constant battle with his religious superiors and the Hawaiian government to obtain needed supplies and resources. He began is mission in 1869 and died of the disease in 1889. Prior to his death he was honored by the King of Hawaii as a Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kalākaua. This honor raised awareness of the plight of the residents and brought international support to Father Damien’s efforts.
One of his fervent prayers and constant requests was that the Church would send Religious sisters to help in the mission. In 1883 Franciscan sisters from Syracuse, NY, led by Mother Marianne Cope, arrived in Honolulu to open a hospital for lepers. Her desire to go to Moloka’i was resisted for some time, but in 1888, after setting up an infrastructure in Hawaii to help leprosy patients, she was allowed to go to Kalupapa on the peninsula and begin her work in the leper colony. Mother Marianne was with Father Damien when he died. He gave Mother his blessing and told her that his prayer had been granted, another priest had been assigned to the mission and sisters had come as well. His work was done.
Stories of this type remind us of the power of the human spirit guided by Divine inspiration. With God, all things are possible. The movie, Molokai, does a good job at sharing this important story. I encourage you to take some time and watch it.