When Israel was defeated in battle, instead of discerning God’s will, they assume that bringing the Ark of the Covenant will guarantee victory. But the real problem was not the absence of the Ark, it was their refusal to live the covenant.

When the Ark was captured, the message was clear: God cannot be manipulated. What He desires is a conversion of heart.

Failures, suffering, and setbacks are not signs that God has abandoned us or His way of revenge on us. Often, they are invitations for us to examine our lives, purify our intentions, humble ourselves and deepen our trust in Him.

True healing begins not when we try to control God, but when we surrender to Him.

Reflection Question: Where have I been relying on religious habits, rituals, or explanations to avoid honestly facing what God is calling me to change?

Jesus’ life and ministry are completely one. From morning to evening, he serves tirelessly: not only the crowds, but also his close collaborators and their families. Jesus’ ministry is not a job with fixed hours; it is his life, flowing from his deep love for the Father and for the people. His strength comes from prayer. By rising early to pray, Jesus remains clear, focused, and free from self-interest.

In contrast, Eli whose years in ministry led to complacency and spiritual blindness. He could no longer recognise God’s voice or respond with urgency. What was once a calling, had become a routine.

When love fades into habit, when service becomes a burden, when we cling to roles instead of responding to God’s call, ministry quietly turns into just another job. Jesus shows us the way: a life poured out, sustained by prayer, always free to go where the Father sends.

Today we are invited to examine our own service: Is it still rooted in prayer and love, or has it become mere routine? Like Samuel, may we learn to say, “Here I am, Lord,” and serve with renewed zeal and faithfulness.

Reflection Question: Is my service still flowing from prayer and love, or has it become routine, obligation, or mere work?

True ministry draws its power from prayer and holiness, not from position or activity.

Eli held religious authority but lacked spiritual depth. Over time, he became blind to what God was doing and failed those entrusted to his care. Hannah, though insignificant in society, prayed with humility and trust. When God gave her a child, she did not cling to him but offered him back to the Lord for the service of others. Her prayer was answered because it was not centred on herself.

In the Gospel, Jesus reveals the true source of authority: a life rooted in intimacy with the Father. Leadership in the Church and in life, cannot be reduced to efficiency, activity or status. Without prayer, integrity, and self-gift, leadership becomes empty.

Only lives offered beyond ourselves, like Hannah and Jesus, can truly bear fruit for the community.

Reflection Question: How is my relationship with God shaping the way I serve, lead, and give myself to others in this season of my life?

After the Feast of the Epiphany, the Church continues to reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation. St John reminds us that to deny Jesus’ coming in the flesh is to misunderstand salvation itself. If Jesus were not truly human, He could not truly save us. As the Letter to the Hebrews teaches, Jesus lived fully as one of us, sharing our struggles and suffering, so that He could lead us to God.

Today, while Jesus’ humanity is easily accepted, His divinity is often softened or avoided. Out of fear of appearing exclusive, Jesus is reduced to a good teacher or one figure among many. In doing so, we weaken our faith and obscure the Gospel.

Reflection Question: How does believing that He is both truly God and truly human change the way I trust Him, follow Him, and live the Gospel today?

We are often tempted to be vague about our faith in order to be inclusive or socially acceptable. Jesus is sometimes presented merely as a moral teacher, a social reformer, or a symbol of peace; rather than the Son of God and Saviour of the world. Such ambiguity may sound gentle, but in truth, it erodes integrity. When faith is reduced to vague values and carefully chosen words, truth becomes negotiable.

St John reminds us to hold fast to what we received from the beginning. Rooted in Scripture and Tradition, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we are called to confess Christ without fear and to surround ourselves with friends who help us grow in truth and holiness, like Saints Basil and Gregory.

Reflection Question: Have I become ambiguous about my faith in Jesus, and who in my life helps me grow in truth, holiness and courage?

Anna, the prophetess, was not influential, powerful, or publicly recognised. Yet her faithfulness did not go unnoticed by God. Anna represents the many hidden servants in the Church: those who pray silently, who serve faithfully behind the scenes, who offer their lives in small, unseen ways. Though the world may overlook them, God sees their hearts.

Because her heart was prepared, Anna was able to recognise Jesus when He was presented in the Temple. This reminds us that Christmas is not merely the remembrance of Christ’s birth in history, but an invitation for Christ to be born anew in our hearts.

St John reminds us that sin and love for the world create barriers to encountering God. True freedom and joy come not from material gifts, but from forgiveness and obedience to God’s Word.

Reflection Question: What might be crowding my heart this Christmas, and what is the Lord inviting me to let go of so that He may truly be born in me?

Christmas reveals a love that does not stop at tenderness or sentimentality. God’s gift is not merely a beautiful baby in a crib, but His very self: a love that empties itself completely, even unto the cross.

St Stephen understood this deeply. For him, welcoming Christ meant embracing the whole Christ—His life, His teaching, His passion, and His resurrection. That is why Stephen’s faith was lived out in service to the poor, courage in witness, and love even for his persecutors. As he was being put to death, he prayed for those who harmed him, just as Jesus did on the cross.

Christmas is an invitation to let Christ be born in us, through lives poured out in love, quietly, steadily, and faithfully.

Reflection Question: Where do I sense God calling me to love more deeply, forgive more freely, or give more of myself, even when it costs?

As we approach the Nativity of our Lord, we are invited to reflect on the lives of Mary and Hannah, ordinary, humble women through whom God worked extraordinary miracles.

Their praise was not self-centred; it magnified God for His power, mercy, and faithfulness. Like them, we are called to praise God not just for what we receive, but for who He is and what He does in our lives and in the world, especially raising the lowly and filling the poor with blessings. True praise transforms our hearts, elevates God, and points others to His goodness.

Reflection Question: How can I cultivate a heart of praise like Mary and Hannah, focusing not on what I receive, but on who God is and what He does in the world?