First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19

Reflection:

Samuel was dedicated to service of the Lord in the Temple at the beginning of his life by his mother, Hannah, in thanksgiving for the miracle that allowed her, a barren woman, to have a child. Samuel, therefore, grew up in the Temple under the care of Eli, the High Priest. This Sunday we hear about an encounter the young Samuel had with the Lord. This encounter illustrates God’s calling upon Samuel to serve Him. Although Samuel was at first confused (along with Eli), when he came to realize it was the Lord calling him, he submitted himself to whatever God would have him do. In essence, Samuel was faithful to following God’s calling upon His life. If we read on in the biblical narrative, we see that Samuel became one of the greatest prophets in Israel. It was, in fact, Samuel who advised King Saul, the first king of Israel, and then anointed the shepherd David as the next king. Thus, he played a very important role in salvation history as a result of his obedience to the will of God. Each of us also have a calling from God. We call that our vocation. God knows what is best for each of us and He wants to do great things through us. But will we listen and follow? Will we respond to His calling by saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening”?

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Reflection:

The call by the Apostle Paul in this passage to “avoid immorality” is another call to obey the Lord. God created us and knows what is best for us. Obeying Him, therefore, is what is best for us. Paul exhorts each of us to “glorify God in your body.” As Christians, our bodies are “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” We should not defile that temple by committing acts with our bodies that are contrary to God’s will. Since our “bodies are members of Christ,” those immoral acts bring, in a sense, defilement to Christ. As followers of Christ we are called to act in a way that brings honor and glory to Christ, as His representatives. Immorality has the opposite effect—giving a bad name to Christ. Furthermore, Paul reminds us that we belong completely to God. This is not merely because He created us, but because He has also redeemed us. “For you have been purchased at a price.” What was the price? The shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross. Jesus died so we could live. Thus, we belong to Him and should act accordingly, honoring Him with our bodies. Paul, moreover, reminds us that the future destiny of our bodies is resurrection. God raised Jesus from the dead and will raise us up too at the end of time.

Gospel Reading: John 1:35-42

Reflection:

The disciples mentioned here were looking for the Messiah. When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” they took notice and went to follow Him because they believed he was the Messiah. The two disciples first mentioned here are Andrew, as is made evident, and likely John, the Gospel writer himself. The brief dialogue between them and Jesus is telling, if we read it carefully. What is their desire? They simply want to be with Jesus. By asking, “What are you looking for?” Jesus is asking more than just “What do you want?” but getting to their very soul’s desire. Another way of wording His question is, “What are you searching for?” Jesus is the only one who can fill their deepest needs and desires. He can give rest to their restless souls and fulfill everything their hearts are truly searching for. But they don’t know this yet. Andrew and John are simply curious and desire to spend time with the Messiah to get to know Him. Jesus welcomes them to “Come and see.” Their “yes” to that invitation would change their lives and the world forever. In fact, that is likely one of the reasons why the detail that “it was about four in the afternoon” is included here. John, the author of this Gospel, remembered the time that his life changed forever. It was a watershed moment for him and worth noting that detail when recounting it.

Not only did Andrew and John follow Jesus, but they invited others. Here, in particular, Andrew went to get his brother, Simon, to introduce him to the Messiah. This Simon would become the great Apostle Peter. This evidences how much of a difference we can make by a simple invitation. It was Andrew’s invitation that brought Peter to meet the Lord, a path that led to him becoming the Prince of the Apostles and the “rock” upon which the Church is built. In fact, at the end of this passage we hear that Jesus gave Simon a new name: “Cephas—which is translated Peter.” When someone is renamed in Scripture, it typically signifies their new mission (e.g. God renamed Abram as Abraham, which means the father of a multitude, in light of the promise that God would bless him with countless descendants). The name “Peter” means “rock,” and, interestedly, there is little evidence of it being used as a person’s name prior to this time. Therefore, it seems that Jesus, at the moment Simon first met Him, used the word for “rock” to create a new name, which would serve more as a title, indicating the mission of Peter to be “the rock upon which the Church is built” (Matthew 16:18), as the first pope of the Church.

Application:

  • Jesus is calling all of us to follow Him. Will you say ‘yes’ and ‘come and see’ what He has to offer? Will you invite others, like Andrew did, to ‘come and see’ too? God has great plans for all of us, but will you listen and obey His call? Let us say a profound “yes” to Him each day, responding like Samuel: “Speak, for your servant is listening.”