‘Speak, Lord, your servant is hearing!’
Like the people in the readings of this Sunday, we, too, are called by Christ to spend time with him and to work with him, to offer our bodies, hearts, and minds in loving service of God’s will.
The word hear in the bible doesn’t only mean listening to hear, but also obedience. When God called Israelites out of Egypt, they had to listen to him (obey him). By their obedience to God, Israelites as the chosen people will enter their place of promise. Likewise, Samuel must listen to God’s call and will, though young as he is, throughout his life. He will have a vocation; to live in obedience to the Lord. His obedience to God’s call signals the beginning of his relationship with the Lord.
The Psalmist invites us to a personal knowledge of and an intimate relationship with God. God desires an open ear, and therefore, the Psalmist’s invitation is us to make Samuel’s prayer our own; ‘speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’
Writing to the Corinthians, the notorious city of sins, Paul emphasizes that we entirely belong to God. Body and soul and we are to give glory to God.
In the Gospel, we come back to the metaphor of searching and journey. On Epiphany Sunday, I invited you to pay attention to these two metaphors. Today, John describing the call of the first disciples where Jesus asks the searching question ‘what do you want?’ here begins the journey of getting to know Jesus, as the disciples follow on the path of deepening faith towards an understanding of who Jesus Christ is.
Similarly, the Lord is calling you. Do you have any idea where and what he is calling you to do? Are you ready to search where he is calling you? How about your obedience to him? Is it good enough to set you on a journey of responding to his call? During this year of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, we have answers to these questions. He, being called to do what he had no idea of, yet, he trusted the Lord who called him. In his obedience, he silently accomplished the will of God by being a wise and faithful steward. It’s not difficult for us, too, to follow his example of obedience as we live our different vocations to fulfill the will of God and add meaning to our lives.
God has never stopped calling us to become his friends and deepen our friendship with him. Our obedience to him is when we live our different vocations well. We live life with an awareness of our weaknesses and dependency on his strength. Though John refers to him as a lamb, he is also a Lion of Judah who strengthens us in our different states of life. Let us come to him and see. Let us also help someone who is searching, to come to him and see.
So, this week, if I come to you, or your family, office, or restaurant, school, or kitchen, will I see Jesus? Will I find the bible, prayer book, rosary, or anything religious? Will I experience love, kindness, welcome, peace, forgiveness, or healing? Maybe, yes, if not, power, authority, competition, and enlarged ego?
Christian Action This Week: Become a faithful disciple, act as a disciple.
Joy and peace