12 January 2016
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
We hear so much today about the evils of abortion, same sex “marriage” and physician assisted suicide. And indeed we should. We are also frequently made aware of the plight of the economic poor, undocumented refugees and victims of violence. Then there is climate change! All well and good, but there is one group of people who suffer seemingly alone in silence: married couples unable to conceive or give birth to a child.
Our 1st reading is a continuation of the saga of Hannah, whom we met yesterday, a woman who certainly did not remain silent because of her sterility. She teaches us a lesson of the essence of prayer. As the psalmist says: “in the anguish of my heart I groaned aloud.” Real prayer must come from the depths of the heart.
Eli, the “professional holy man,” hears her and judges she is drunk. I must sometimes see the humor in the judgments of “professional holy men – and women.” They make me realize God has a great sense of humor. So today in my prayers I will remember couples that are not successful in bearing a child along with “professional holy man – and women,” who are sometimes blind when it comes to judging the anguish of the hearts of ordinary sinners.