Lectionary 65: God's call to relationship & how we should respond

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

Commentary/observations

Reading 1 1 SM 3:3B-10, 19

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am." Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. "Here I am, " he said. "You called me." But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."

At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading II 1 COR 6:13C-15A, 17-20

Brothers and sisters: The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him. Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. 

Alleluia JN 1:41, 17B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We have found the Messiah: Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" — which translated means Teacher —,"where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" — which is translated Christ —. Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas" — which is translated Peter.

1.             God calls to us, He wants relationship with us. That is most clearly illustrated in the first reading. It is implicit in the statements in the second reading about being “joined to the Lord” and “becom[ing] one Spirit with him.” It is also clearly illustrated in the gospel; John’s instruction to “[b]ehold, the Lamb of God” seems like an invitation for relationship from God spoken through John. Jesus—God Himself—expressly invites us to “come” so we may “see” Him.

2.            How do we respond to that wonderful invitation?

A.   Follow the examples provided by Samuel in the first reading and the disciples in the gospel: listen for Him and respond positively when he reaches out. Don’t worry if you have missed His approaches in the past, the first reading illustrates that God is gracious and will respond positively once you finally “get it.”

B.   The psalm also gives sound direction: respond obediently to God’s advances.  That same principle underlies the second reading