2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
During these past years, our ability to communicate with one another has been transformed in ways we could not have imagined years ago. Cell phones put us in contact with one another wherever we are. Caller ID and call waiting assure us we will not miss anyone’s call. We live in an era of instant communication.
The Lord calls us. The question for us today is how is the call being given and how do we hear it. A caller ID would have enabled Samuel to hear the call sooner. It took three times for the wise elder, Eli, to identify who was calling. For the first disciples, John the Baptist pointed out the way that led them to hear and respond to their call, enabling them to respond to the invitation – come and see.
For us, our response is not once and done. We may have already responded to our big call—marriage, religious life, single life, career choice. But this yes is followed up by a million other yeses that shape who we are and who others will become through us.
Our yes is spoken every time we come together for the Eucharist. Yes, to being in the Lord’s presence, yes to being with our family in Christ, yes to listening to the Word and being nourished by the Body of Christ. Once again, this yes is followed by so many more yeses when we leave the celebration and live out our yes.
St. Paul reminds us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Many may never enter a church—the temple of his presence. It may be only through us they hear the call and are given the opportunity to respond.
How will my yes to the Lord today inspire others to live their yes?
Let us pray:
Gracious God, may your Spirit open our minds and hearts to respond to you with the words, “Speak, Lord your servant is listening.” Enable us to respond to your call to be open to the many ways you invite us to bring your message of peace, reconciliation, and hope to our troubled world. Amen.
