Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 18, 2015 Cycle B
by Rev. Jose Maria Cortes, F.S.C.E.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s first reading reminds me of Samuel, a seminary colleague of mine. Once when he was a little child attending Mass with his mother, for some reason it was the pastor who read the first reading. Samuel heard his name being called: “Samuel,” then a second time: “Samuel.” The third time, he stood up and said: “I am here, Father!”

Today’s first reading tells us about the vocation of the Prophet Samuel. When he was still a child, God called him during the night. Samuel heard a voice calling him by name and thought it belonged to the priest Eli. Samuel was still not familiar with the way God communicates with his servants. God called him three times. The first two times, Eli told Samuel to go back to sleep. However, the third time the priest understood that something supernatural was happening, that the voice Samuel heard was God’s. Therefore, Eli said to his disciple: “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:9).

This passage from the Old Testament teaches us how to recognize God’s voice in our lives. In the silence of the night, Samuel hears a voice calling him by name. God is calling him. However, in order to understand that it is God who is calling, Samuel needs the help of the priest Eli. Samuel is young and without knowledge of God, while Eli is an old man full of wisdom. It is Eli who understands that what was happening in Samuel’s heart came from God. The priest invites Samuel to begin a dialogue with the Lord.

Our dialogue with God happens at the level of our inner life. It is in the secret of our hearts that the Holy Spirit communicates divine inspirations to us. How can we identify God’s voice among so many other voices? There is the risk of subjectivism. We can confuse our own thoughts or feelings with God’s call. That is why we need help. Like Samuel, we need to speak with someone. It could be a priest, spiritual director, friend or a wise person, but should be someone who represents the Church.

Our relationship with God needs mediation. In order to understand what God wants from us, it is necessary to speak with someone who can help us see what God is doing in our lives from an external vantage point. We do not need someone to tell us what to do. Sometimes, there is the temptation to search for a spiritual director who will tell us what to do. What we really need is a person who helps us separate what is coming from God from what is coming from elsewhere.

In today’s Gospel, we see that it was necessary for St. John the Baptist to point Christ out to the two disciples: “Behold, the lamb of God” (Jn 1:35). They encountered Christ because of the Baptist. After their encounter, John disappears. He was only an intermediary.

In the second reading, St. Paul says that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is a presence that has been within us since the day of our baptism. God speaks in our hearts in secret.

The same Spirit who speaks in our hearts and inspires us also guides us through those who represent the Church. We need to connect the dots in order to understand God’s call. For Samuel, the wise advice received from Eli helped him decide to reply to God: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10).

God knows us and calls us by name. Let us listen to God’s voice and try to understand what he wants from us.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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