Hannah felt herself judged on all sides. What other people thought about her, what they said about her, bothered her a great deal. Even when she was at prayer she was judged by the priest. She replied to him, Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” In our lives we too can be influenced by other peoples’ opinion about us. But, like Hannah, ultimately we have to determine who we are and what God wants of us independent of the judgments of others. With prayerful discernment we determine how God wants us to use the gifts and talents we possess in order to make this world a little more loving, kind, compassionate.
