Homily For The Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B, January 14, 2023

Behold, the Lamb of God

God calls us to encounter him through faithfulness to concrete things – God is always encountered in concrete things: daily prayer, Holy Mass, Confession, real \charity, the daily word of God, closeness, especially to those most in need spiritually or physically –Pope Francis

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My Dearest Friends In Christ

The readings of today remind us all that God is calling each of us to be witnesses to him by leading others to Him. Today’s readings remind us too of our personal and corporate call to become witnesses for Jesus, the Lamb of God, by leading lives of holiness and purity.

The Call of Samuel

The first Reading narrates the dramatic call of the young Samuel in the temple. God called Samuel but it took Eli’s discernment and guidance to direct Samuel on the best way to answer God’s call. You could imagine the calmness and quietude of the temple when the voice of God re-echoed through the temple calling the young Man he wished to send on a mission to Israel as a witness to him. God is still calling us in various ways and circumstances for various missions, but it takes quietude of the mind and a peaceful and calm disposition to realize that God needs our attention at any point in time. If Samuel was playing music with his earphones on his ears, or busy out there with friends in a bar, or playing music loudly in his car or at home or watching a favorite TV show, he could not have heard any voice calling. While I do not condemn these activities, I lament the rate at which the noisy nature of the modern world has deprived us of the inner solitude of discovering what God is calling us to do. It is even annoying that most young people hardly hear or answer their parents at home because the earpiece is talking and they are listening. Our calling today may not be as dramatic as that of Samuel but we need some peaceful moment of reflection and quietness to meditate and answer God’s call. We also need the spiritual guidance of our priests, parents, teachers, other Christians, etc. to dispose our self and give a proper positive response. God’s call may come from a parent, an employer, a spouse, a friend telling you to do the right thing.

Listening To The Lord Who Speaks

Samuel answered “Speak Lord for your servant is Listening” We need to Listen as God speaks. It is one thing to hear and another to Listen. Listening is a conscious act aimed at grasping some vital information. It requires attention and interest. Listening people remember all they were instructed to do, they note it down and go about it. But one could simply hear someone speaking but cannot make out anything reasonable from what is being said, because he/she lacks attention and interest. There is so much misinformation and misinterpretation today because no one cares to listen to another. Had Samuel not listened to God, he would have lost the message and there would not be another opportunity for it. Have you ever asked someone after the readings at mass or after mass where the first reading of the day was taken from and he/she tells you he could not remember, that’s just an instance. We therefore need to imbibe the listening habit, paying attention to hear God and others speak to Us.

Our lives as God’s followers revolve around seeking, finding, and responding to God’s calls. Listening to the call of God is to hear, understand, and accept it in word and action. Ask yourself self my dearest Is God calling me today for a special mission? What is He saying to me? Am I listening?

God Calls To Send Us On A Mission

When God calls, He calls for a purpose, a purpose to send one on a mission, a mission of bearing witness to him by drawing others to him. The gospel of today portrays John the Baptist as an exceptional prophet, I am humbled by his humility. John understood his mission as one called to lead others to Christ. He didn’t take advantage of his prominence to pursue his ambition to found a church or make disciples for himself. John never mutilated the message he received nor arrogated the words he spoke as his own. God sent John as a messenger and as a witness with a message, a message he delivered in its purity. We often use God’s word or messages to pursue our ambitions or even claim that we received such messages from God. Samuel received the message and acted in accordance with God’s instruction so also John who led his Disciples to Christ, let us learn from them and follow their examples.

We Are Called To Show Others The Way to Encounter Christ

John selflessly directed his disciples to Jesus. John the Baptist gave testimony to Jesus by pointing Him out as the Lamb of God (vv 29, 36); Andrew called him the Messiah (v 41), and Nathaniel called Jesus Rabbi, Son of God, and King of Israel (v 49). Jesus completed the epiphany, declaring Himself the Son of Man (v 51). In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus called the disciples away from their fishing boats to follow him (Matt 4:18-22, et al.). But in the Fourth Gospel, they went to Him at John’s direction rather than in response to Jesus’ call. Instead of leaving their boats, they left John. On the second day of Jesus’ public ministry, John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the Jews as the “Lamb of God.” (Jn 1:29) and thus completed His mission. Part of the reason for the PROLIFERATION OF CHURCH AND MINISTERIES today is the desire to show one’s relevance and to draw attention to oneself or if you choose to add, for material gains. John the Baptist is exceptional because no modern evangelist, would love to lose his disciples to another prophet and this is because of personal interests and gains. The bigger the congregation the more money that comes in.

While we Pray for the grace to have the listening disposition to discern and answer God’s call in every circumstance of our life, we also ask for the grace to be faithful to our vocation and to the message we are entrusted with, drawing others to God by our faithful witnessing. Let us eschew every form of personal interest in this mission entrusted to us. Let us see ourselves merely as messengers of God.