SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
17 JANUARY 2021
John
the Baptist is very familiar with the worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. His father, Zechariah, has been a priest
serving in the Temple. His mother,
Elizabeth, is from the Tribe of Levi, a tribe of priests. He understands the dynamic of temple
worship. As a youth, he would have seen
countless lambs brought to the temple at Passover every year. They would be prepared for Passover meals in
which people would commemorate the Exodus, when God led his people from slavery
in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.
However,
John dwells in the desert, a far cry from the carefully crafted worship
patterns of the ornate temple. In the
desert, he tells two of his disciples to behold the Lamb of God. Those of us who read the Gospel of John know
that Jesus will eventually offer himself as the Lamb of God, sacrificed not on
a sacred altar in the temple, but on a hill of execution outside the city
walls. His total self-giving love will
free people from sin and death.
The two
disciples begin to follow Jesus. When
Jesus notices them, he asks the question, “what are you looking for?’ Instead of answering his question, they ask
another, “Where are you staying?” He
invites them, “come, and you will see.”
They see where Jesus is staying and stay with him that day. By deciding to stay with him, Andrew and his
fellow disciple enter into an intimate relationship with Jesus. In staying with him, they begin to be
transformed by their intimate union with the Incarnate Word of God. We see the change already. Instead of calling Jesus “Rabbi”, Andrew
tells Simon that he has found “the Christ.”
Simon’s transformation begins
when Jesus changes his name to Peter, or “Rock.”
This short
discourse speaks volumes about the Lord calling each of us to be his
disciples. Jesus asks us the same
question, “what are you looking for?’ In
other words, he is asking each of us what we are seeking in life. He is asking us what makes us truly happy and
fulfilled. He invites us to remain with
him and allow him to find the fulfillment and happiness for which we were
created and formed in the image of God.
Our parish
is in the midst of the second year of our five year strategic plan, the year of
prayer. It is through prayer that we
remain with him and grow in a deeper relationship with him. Once we have been nourished by the Eucharist,
our time spent in prayer sustains that unique relationship. Our reading from the first Book of Samuel helps
us to learn to pray better. Eli, the old
priest, finally figures out that God is calling Samuel. Instructed by his mentor, Samuel
answers: “Speak Lord, for your servant
is listening.” Like Samuel, we can spend
more time in silence, listening to the Lord speaking to us. Of course, speaking our intentions is an
important part of our efforts to pray.
But too often our constant speaking in prayer becomes: “Listen, Lord, for your servant is speaking!”
Eli can
help us adults to guide our young people as they discern the Lord’s call in
their lives. We can share our
experiences. Like Eli, we too can give
advice and direction. Those of you who are
trying to discern the Lord’s call in your lives can trust us. We can help you listen to the ways in which
the Lord might be calling you to marriage, priesthood, or the religious life.
As Saint
Paul reminds the Corinthians, we have been formed as members in the Body of
Christ. Christians in that community
were tempted to believe what the pagans believed: that their bodies were totally separated from
their souls. If they believed this, then
they could do whatever they wanted with their bodies. We are faced with the same temptations. Having formed a deeper union with the Lord,
we can more fully commit our entire selves to the Lord, allowing him to form us
into a stronger and more effective Body of Christ in our world.
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