Today's Mass readings offer us several examples of a response to a vocation. In the first reading, we hear of the call of Samuel. After his mother, initially barren, prayed intensely, she miraculously bore a son, whom she gave to God. Samuel began to serve God in difficult circumstances: Israel was under attack by the barbarian Philistines, his temple priest, Eli, was growing old and his two sons were living badly.
But in the midst of this bleak picture, little Samuel remained faithful; we can imagine that his mother continued to pray for him. While Eli's two sons slept at night with women and away from God, Samuel slept in the temple near Him. And he was willing to listen to God, although he needed the guidance of a more experienced guide, Eli, to explain to him that mysterious voice he heard. A mother who prays, a son who tries to be close and listen to God, although he is not very skilled at knowing what God is saying to him, that is why he needed a spiritual guide. We too need spiritual direction, both to know and to live our vocation. Samuel would reach maturity and become a great judge of Israel.
In today's Gospel we also have a vocational story. We see the call of two men: Andrew and another, perhaps John the apostle. Like Samuel, they too were looking for a guide. They were looking for truth and so they found their way to John the Baptist, who pointed them to Jesus. Like Samuel, they did not know how to recognize God when he spoke to them. When Jesus turned and asked them what they were looking for, they could only reply with the confused "Rabbi, where do you live?". But, like Samuel, they had the good sense to accept the invitation. Samuel, sleeping in the temple, was trying to live with God. Jesus invited these two to come and see where he lived: in other words, to share his life. They spent the rest of the day with Jesus: an experience of prayer, of talking to him and listening to him.
Because they had spent this time with Jesus-which is prayer, listening and conversation with Jesus-they were ready to respond to his call. If we pray, we will follow Jesus. If not, we will not. Not only that, but Andrew immediately found his brother Simon (Peter). Prayer and time with Jesus necessarily lead us to share it with others: prayer leads to evangelization.
Homily on the readings of Sunday, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
