First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
Reflection:
At the beginning of his life, Samuel was dedicated to service of the Lord in the Temple 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. In this Sunday’s first reading, we hear about an encounter the young Samuel had with the Lord. This encounter illustrates God’s calling upon Samuel to serve Him. Samuel was at first confused, along with Eli, but 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 will for 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.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Reflection:
The exhortation 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. We are called, in particular, here 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 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 here 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 two disciples first mentioned here are Andrew, as is made evident, and likely John, the Gospel writer Himself. They 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 truly was the Messiah. The brief dialogue between them and Jesus is telling if we read 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 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. They are simply curious and desiring 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, in fact, the world forever. The Gospel mentions the detail that it was “about four in the afternoon.” Why include this detail? Some commentators have reflected that this time was etched in the Apostle John’s mind as the decisive turning point of his life. At four o’clock that day his life was changed forever. How could he forget that moment in time? Furthermore, not only did Andrew and John follow Jesus themselves 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, the new name that Jesus gave to Simon, “Cephas—which is translated Peter,” literally means “rock.” It was more of a title than a name. Like the other times in the Bible when God changed someone’s name (e.g. Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, etc.), Jesus’ declaration of Simon’s new name as Peter was an indication of a new mission for Simon. The changing of his name foreshadows that he would become the leader of the early Church, namely the first Pope.
Application:
- Like Samuel, each of us have a calling from God. We call that our vocation. God knows what is best for each of us and wants to do great things through us. But will we listen and follow? Will we say to Him when He calls us, “Speak, for your servant is listening”?
- 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.
