REFLECTION:

Over the years in my priesthood, I’ve noticed something that always makes me smile and, at the same time, makes me think. Before big events, important meetings, or even a big game, someone will sometimes say, “Father, can you bless this so everything goes smoothly?” And sometimes, when things are going well, people will jokingly say, “Father, you must be our good luck charm.” I’m always happy to pray and to bless—because prayer truly does matter. But every now and then, I find myself wondering: Are we asking for God’s blessing… or are we treating God like spiritual insurance? Like if we just get the prayer, the blessing, or the holy water, everything is guaranteed to work out—even if we haven’t really asked whether our hearts and lives are aligned with Him.

That question comes to mind when we hear today’s story from the First Book of Samuel. Israel is at war with the Philistines and suffers a painful defeat. Confused and discouraged, the elders ask, “Why has the Lord allowed us to be defeated today?” But instead of truly turning back to God, instead of examining their hearts and changing their ways, they come up with a plan: Bring the Ark of the Covenant into battle. Surely, they think, if the Ark is with us, we cannot lose.

And so the Ark is carried into the camp with great shouting and excitement. Spirits are high. Confidence is restored. Even the enemies are afraid. But what Israel does not realize is this: they are carrying the Ark, but they are not carrying God in their hearts. The Ark had become a religious object, a symbol they thought they could use, rather than a reminder of the God they were supposed to obey.

The result is tragic. Israel is defeated again. Thousands die. The Ark is captured. And the two corrupt priests, Hophni and Phinehas, are killed. The message is clear and unsettling: God is not a mascot, not a lucky charm, not a magic solution to our problems. He cannot be carried into battle while being ignored in daily life.

This story forces us to ask some honest questions. How often do we carry religious things—our crucifix, our Bible, our rosary, our Church membership—without really carrying God in our hearts? How often do we turn to prayer only when we are in trouble, not to seek conversion, but to seek a quick fix? Like Israel, we can fall into the temptation of using God rather than loving God.

God desires more than our symbols; He desires our hearts. He desires not just our rituals, but our obedience, not just our words, but our lives. You cannot carry the Ark if you refuse to carry God in your heart. You cannot expect God to fight for you if you are unwilling to walk with Him.

The good news is that God does not abandon us to this failure. Even our defeats can become moments of grace—wake-up calls that invite us back to sincerity, humility, and real faith. When we stop treating God like a solution and start loving Him like a Father, everything begins to change.



May we not settle for carrying holy things. Instead, may we become holy people who truly carry God within us—into our homes, our work, our school, our parish, and our daily decisions.