The “Woke” Brotherhood of Eli, Samuel, John, Peter & Jesus

Readings for the 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: I SAM 3: 3B-10, 19; PS 40: 4, 7-10; I COR 6: 13C-15A, 17-20; JN 35-42  

This week’s readings are about wakefulness. They tell the stories of five great prophets of the Judeo-Christian tradition. (Prophets, remember, are not fortune tellers. They’re the spokespersons for the Great Father-Mother God however s/he is named.)  

Prophets were never popular with the authorities of their day. But the poor loved them, because their words comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable sleeping peacefully behind their temple and castle gates.

Prophetic words lit fires in those ready to hear them. They awakened those in oblivious slumber – sleepers like you and me.  

As a disciple of the one he identified as the greatest man ever to draw breath (MT 11:11), Yeshua was like that. He passed his inherited mantle on to Peter – another working man like himself, just as Eli had willed his mantle to his disciple, Samuel.  

Today’s readings are specifically about the awakening of Samuel and Peter. They should sound alarm bells for us as well. Here are my translations of this Sunday’s selections. (You can find the originals here.):    

 
 I Samuel 3: 3B-10, 19
  
 Prophets sometimes fall asleep
 Even telling would-be disciples
 To ignore the summons
 To fullness of life
 In favor of slumber’s cheap comfort.
 Old Eli did that to young Samuel.
 However, the Mother-God’s persistence
 Eventually awakened 
 Both the ancient mystic
 And his young apprentice
 Until their shared prayer became
 “Speak, Great Mother,
 For your servants are listening!”
 From then on,
 Neither permitted any Goddess word
 To be spoken without its effect.
  
 Psalm 40: 4, 7-10
  
 Let that be our prayer as well:
 “Here I am, Great Mother,
 I come to do your will.”
 The invocation will give
 New melody to our life’s song.
 It will replace old time religion
 With sharp vision
 And attentive ears
 That reveal justice’s demands
 Already inscribed 
 In our very hearts
 As the Goddess’ 
 Inescapable Law of Life.
  
 I Corinthians 6: 13C-15A, 17-20
  
 Yeshua shared the awakened consciousness
 Of old Eli and young Samuel.
 He taught that
 Placing ourselves at the Goddess’ disposal 
 Would transform our lives too
 Making us avoid the immorality 
 Of injustice towards others
 As crimes against our own bodies
 And against the Great Spirit
 Who resides within each of us.
  
 John 1: 35-40
  
 For that reason
 Even the Great John the Baptist
 And his disciples
 Recognized the unschooled 
 But wide-awakened Jesus 
 As rabbi, teacher, Messiah
 And Goddess favorite.
 One of them, changed his name
 On the spot
 To signify his newly awakened self-consciousness
 Wrought by 
 A single afternoon’s conversation.
 So, please speak to us too, 
 Dear rabbi Yeshua,
 As you did to young Peter.
 Your servants are listening indeed.
 May none of your words
 Remain without its effect.