January 18, 2015 – Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Sm 3: 3B-10, 19; Ps 40: 2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor 6: 13C-15A, 17-20; Jn 1: 35-42
A popular hymn used in many Catholic churches is Here I am Lord. That hymn is based in part on our first reading from the Book of Samuel. The Lord wants us to respond just the way Samuel does in the reading. God calls each of us to discipleship through lives of stewardship.
Just as Samuel was confused, we, too, may fail to understand what God is calling us to at times. Nevertheless, just like Samuel we do need to respond “Here I am Lord.” That is not always easy and it can be uncomfortable at times. Eli instructs Samuel to respond “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Samuel does so and “the Lord was with him.”
Our challenge is first to hear God’s call. It is there always, but we must listen for it. Then we need to respond to that call, and we need to respond in ways that show we recognize that the call is to service and the call is for us to be disciples. It is only implied initially, but it is clear that the Lord is calling Samuel by name. In the same way God calls each of us by name. We need to hear that as Samuel did, and we need to respond as Samuel did, “Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.”
