FORMATION OF SAMSON AND ITS TRAGICOMIC END

The Divine Pedagogy of Formation VII

Abstract

Samson received his call even before he was conceived. His mother was instructed to abstain from wine and other fermented drinks and not to eat unclean food. This reminds us of the need of special attention to be given while choosing a candidate for religious or priestly life by considering his/her family background and status, namely its reputation, morality of the parents and relatives, nature of the profession, etc. The extraordinary grace freely bestowed on Samson without any merit or co-operation from his part sheds light on the nature of vocation and formation. The formee was supposed to become conscious of the Lord’s Spirit that empowered him. Instead Samson took pride in his might and strength, as if it were his own and did whatever pleased him. His inordinate passions and lack of self-control gradually led to his humiliation and downfall.