Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Saul is just one example of a man with many talents who was still a failure. Can you think of any other men who also failed in life even though they had many natural talents? Why do you think they were failures?
2. What were some of Saul’s glaring sins and weaknesses that led to his downfall? What steps can we as Catholic men take to avoid the same mistakes and sins that Saul committed?
3. Like Saul, “self-sufficiency and self-determination” can keep us from turning to God for guidance and his will for our lives. How can we keep these from being sources of sin in our own lives?
4. Saul was succeeded on the throne by David, who went on to be the greatest of Israel’s kings. David also had many weaknesses like Saul. Can you think of any contrasts between David and Saul that caused their lives to turn out so differently? (Hint: See Sirach 47:5-11.)
The National Fellowship of Catholic Men expresses its admiration and appreciation to the Holy Father for giving to Catholics, and the whole world, a model of holiness and humility, a clear proclamation of the Gospel message, and a leadership based on a deep faith and spirituality. A free Pope John Paul II Commemorative Issue is now available from The Word Among Us website. This free commemorative issue, honoring the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II, contains a picture essay and several articles. To access the commemorative issue on The Word Among Us website, just click on COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE. The articles can be downloaded, viewed, and printed using Adobe Reader software (a free download of this software is also available). Articles can be viewed and printed individually or the issue can be viewed and printed in its entirety. The commemorative issue is also accessible from the NFCM website.
[Editor's Note: This article is the third in a series on the theme “Being a Man of Prayer.” Click here to find the first article and second article]
The story of Saul as told in 1 Samuel, beginning in Chapter 9, is one of the most tragic stories in the Old Testament. Saul was chosen by God and anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the first king of Israel. Listen to these uplifting words of Samuel as he anoints Saul: “The Lord anoints you commander over his inheritance. You are to govern the Lord’s people Israel and save them from the grasp of their enemies round about” (1 Samuel 10:1). With such a promising start, he was definitely on the fast track to reign as the epitome of the ideal king for Israel. Saul certainly had all the natural gifts and talents to be one of if not the greatest of all Israel’s kings.
So what happened? First of all, in addition to his many gifts, Saul also had glaring defects. Perhaps, the greatest of these defects was that he was not a “man of prayer.” Even though he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be Israel’s first king, he failed to recognize his need for God. As king of Israel, Saul attempted to lead Israel independent of the Lord rather than seek his will through prayer. He disobeyed God’s instructions given through Samuel and brought disaster upon himself and the people as a whole. Blinded by worldly philosophies of power, his own striving for glory, and his fear, Saul lost sight of his deep need for God’s grace and took matters into his own hands over and over again. He failed to rule Israel with a trust in God’s faithfulness and guidance through prayer.
Is there any doubt that if Saul had been willing to open himself to God through prayer, the Lord would have revealed to him his utter dependence on God and transformed him into a man of God? Instead, he chose the path of self-sufficiency and self-determination, which caused his many gifts to be overshadowed by his faults and sins, until finally, he is rejected by God as king. Listen to these sobering words in 1 Samuel 15:10-11: “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Finally, Samuel tells Saul, “The Lord rejects you as King of Israel” (15:26). What a sad ending to a life that began with such high hopes.
The life of Saul is a sad contrast to the life of Pope John Paul II, who recognized his total dependence on God and his need for an ongoing life of prayer. We may never become famous like John Paul II, but we too can live a life pleasing to God as we open ourselves to the voice of Jesus and our Heavenly Father in prayer.
Heavenly Father, I recognize my total dependence on you for all my needs and for the wisdom and strength to be obedient to your call for my life. I repent of the ways I try to be self-sufficient and for my self-centeredness. I don’t want to be like Saul. I want to be a man of prayer. I place all my family and myself in your hands, trusting in your love. May your will be done.”
(This article by Maurice Blumberg was part of the Catholic Men’s E-zine, Being a Man of Prayer, (March-April 2002 issue) which is available on the NFCM website. You may e-mail them at info@nfcmusa.org. Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to include some material from daily meditations.)
Reflection Questions on Page 2
