II Sunday OT: [B]: 1Sam 3:3-10,19,65; 1Cori 6:13-15,17-20; Jn1:35-42;

II Sunday OT: [B]: 1Sam 3:3-10,19,65; 1Cori 6:13-15,17-20; Jn1:35-42;

Today’s theme is Divine vocation.  Everyone is called by God to be something, to do something for others with his life and with his unique gifts.  We see the theme of “the call of God” in the first reading when Samuel hears someone calling him in the night, and keeps running to his mentor Eli, thinking it must be him. This happens a few times, so Eli eventually suggests that the next time it happens, that Samuel just simply say “OK, I am here.” When Samuel is at rest and hears the call again, he simply says to God – “I am here. What do you want? I am listening”, God speaks to him and lets Samuel know what he wants.

If we apply this to our own situations, I think that sometimes we are so busy that we either don’t hear God calling, or we do hear God and mistake it for something else in our busy lives. If we simply can relax into prayer, and say to God, “OK. I am here. I am listening. Speak to me”, we might actually hear what God is telling us in our lives.

The Gospel of this Sunday presents us with the early ministry of Jesus. Testimonies about him continues especially from John the Baptist who accepted God’s call and is coming to the end of his ministry. His role today is worthy of mention. Most especially, he is fulfilling his own prophecy: “I am not he who is to come…! Surely, he was not the messiah that was why he directed even his own disciples thus: “Behold the Lamb of God!” Hence, he had no problems about his own disciples deserting him to follow Jesus. He fulfilled his call by showing others the way to salvation. Most importantly, this gospel challenges us to reflect on our response to the call of Jesus. Today, He says to us as he said to his first disciples, “come and see!” This is an invitation to follow him. Likewise, Andrew invited his brother Peter using the Lord’s own words: “come and see the messiah,” and Peter responded immediately, by leaving everything. Also, when the Samaritan woman encountered Christ she used the same words to invite her kinsmen: “…come and see…” (Jn 4, 29). Of course, they responded by following her. Responding to Jesus’ invitation should be a daily business and requires the whole of our being (Body, Soul and Spirit). When we respond to it, we must also help others do so.

Event: One day Francis of Assisi invited one of the young friars to join him on a trip into town to preach. The young friar was so honored at receiving such an invitation from St. Francis that he quickly accepted. They paused beneath a tree and Francis stooped to return a young bird to its nest. They went on and stopped in a field crowded with reapers and Francis bent his back to help load the hay onto a cart. From there they went to the town square where Francis lifted a bucket of water from the well for an old woman and carried it home for her. All day long he and St. Francis walked through the streets and byways, alleys and suburbs, and they rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. Each time they stopped, the young friar was sure that St. Francis would stop and preach. But no words of great truth or wise discourse issued from the saint's mouth. Finally, they went into the Church, but Francis only knelt silently to pray. At the end of the day, the two headed back home. Not once had St. Francis addressed a crowd, nor had he talked to anyone about the Gospel. The young monk was greatly disappointed, and he said to St. Francis, "I thought we were going into town to preach?" St. Francis responded, "My son, we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking and in everything we did. We were seen by many and our behavior was closely watched. It's of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk! Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words only if necessary."

Joke: A Catholic boy and a Jewish boy were talking and the Catholic boy said, "My priest knows more than your rabbi." The Jewish boy said, "Of course he does! That is because you tell him everything in confession."

My Comment: Now you understood why I do not know some things …….

Practical Applications: 1) Believe that God has something to say to you. Believe that God loves you close up and personal. 2) Beware of false humility: - thinking that you’re such a bad person that God wouldn’t want to have anything to do with you. Remember that Jesus Christ has died for you. He makes you worthy of God’s love. You don’t make yourself worthy. If you think you’re so unworthy of God’s loving presence to you then spend some time gazing upon Christ hanging on His cross. That will tell you your value and how much God thinks you are worth in His eyes. That will tell you how far He has gone to let you know how much He loves you. 3) Recognize that false humility is really just another form of denial, or of pride. It makes you think you’re really someone special, one of the world’s greatest sinners, or something like that. This just isn’t true; it’s just another excuse for not letting yourself get near God’s love. 4) Take time to reflect and pray, paying attention to events as well as things people say to you. 5) Be open to see and hear things. God, after all, is trying to get in touch with you... maybe in them.  

God has a Word for you. He has something He wants to say to you. Begin your next time of prayer with these words: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Introduction: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message: Through baptism we have been joined to the Lord who calls us to be his disciples.  How well do we listen to his voice? How willing are we to do his will?

Saints and Events in this week: This week is especially dedicated for the Prayer for Christian unity. 19 – Nineteenth – Monday – Birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. ; 20 – Twentieth – Tuesday – Saint Fabian, Pope, Martyr; Saint Sebastian, Martyr; 21 – Twenty First – Wednesday – Saint Agnes, Virgin, Martyr; 22 – Twenty Second – Thursday – Anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v/s Wade (1973), all dioceses in the United States observe a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Please pray; 23 – Twenty Third – Friday – Saint Vincent, Deacon, Martyr; Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin; 24 – Twenty Forth – Saturday – Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor of the Church;