By Philip Raj csc –
Readings: 1 Sam 15: 16-23; Mk 2: 18 – 22
Each one of us tends to please others by doing good work and by being faithful to those people whom we like the most and to our authorities. If a task is given to us, we want to do it well.
To do well we put in a lot of effort and hard work. When we do such tasks or take up such responsibilities, we need to be more conscious about what has been told to us, because at a particular point we may feel we want to change the plan of the person who has given us these tasks.
It is different from going an extra mile or doing things in creative ways. When we fail to keep up to our words, we no longer remain trustworthy. As Mother Teresa would say, we are not called to be successful but to be faithful. When we are faithful, we can become successful in our given tasks and responsibilities.
The readings of today invite us to be obedient and faithful to God, which pleases God more than any burnt offerings. Though Soul was little in his own eyes, God made him the king of Israelites, but Saul failed to obey the voice of the Lord. In the gospel reading, the disciples of Jesus were questioned by Pharisees for not fasting.
Fasting is not an act that we do to please others but to help us pray more and help those people who are in need of our help. At times, we forget the core purpose of our religious practices and do just for showing others. We should know the purpose of what we do so that we find meaning in our lives.