An extraordinary story is promised

A reflection on the daily readings, for Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

We have said it before and we say it again — Ordinary Time in the liturgical year is certainly not ordinary.

In fact, one might say that all time with God is rather extraordinary.

And one might also say, “look, the proof is in the pudding!”

And if anyone needs proof, just listen to the word of God today.

In the first chapter of the first book of Samuel, we meet Hannah, wife of Elkanah from Ramathaim.

He had two wives: one who had borne him several children, and Hannah who was barren.

Hannah was truly bitter in her barrenness and went to the temple to cry out in pain to the Lord begging for a son, then promising God that she would give her son to the Lord — dedicated for, “all the days of his life. No razor shall ever touch his head.”

The priest of the temple even thought she was drunk as she silently uttered these words to God, and the priest told her so.

But she confessed her pleas to God to him.

He blessed her. She went on her way. She ate and drank with her husband and was not depressed.

She was “with him” and was remembered by the Lord.

And the proof? She conceived and bore a son!

What an extraordinary prayer she made to the Lord. And what extraordinary results!

+ Then we jump to the first chapter of Mark.

By Verse 12 of this first chapter —

Jesus was born. John the Baptist appeared, baptizing in preparation for the Lord’s coming.

Jesus has become an adult and was driven by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

John was arrested.

Jesus was out and about, proclaiming that, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He has called his twelve apostles; and then, he entered the synagogue in Capernaum and began to teach.

He was immediately recognized as having extraordinary teaching authority — much more than the scribes.

Uh oh! This, undoubtedly, would one day be his downfall.

But all of a sudden, a man with an unclean spirit appeared and cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are — the holy one of God!”

Jesus rebuked the man and called out the spirit.

The man convulsed and was cleansed of this spirit.

And the people were amazed!

What authority! What teaching! What power!

He commands! And even unclean spirits obey him! —

“What is this?”

And by the 28th verse of Chapter 1, Jesus has made his mark in Mark.

How extraordinary, indeed!

And so Mark — the shortest Gospel and the first Gospel by most accounts — begins this story of Jesus of Nazareth.

We are promised that it will be an extraordinary story, indeed!

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Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.