THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
(I Samuel 3: 3-10.19; I Corinthians 6: 13-15.17-20; John 1:35-42)
The spiritual journey is said to begin with the question,
"What are you looking for in life?" It should come as no surprise
that everyone responds in the same way. Everyone seeks happiness. But what does
happiness consist of? This seems to be the purpose of Jesus' question in the
gospel today.
Jesus asks John's disciples: "'What are you looking
for?'" Different people want different things. In the second reading,
Saint Paul reproaches the Corinthians for seeking physical pleasure. He says
that the fornicator desecrates his own body because he unifies with a foreigner
what has been dedicated to the Lord. It would be akin to turning a temple into
a discotheque. Others desire power or prestige or money in their pursuit of
happiness. The problem is that even if one indulges in these pursuits,
happiness in time will vanish like snow on a warm day.
Andrew and his companion have another objective in mind as
they search for happiness. They want a close relationship with God. Therefore,
they answer Jesus' question by saying that they want to see where he lives.
John has told them that Jesus is the "'Lamb of God'". Where he is
then, his Shepherd will be. In the first reading the boy Samuel hears the voice
of God emitted from the Ark. To this Samuel responds: “’Speak, Lord; your
servant listens to you.'" The word "listen" indicates obedience.
For to obey is derived from the Latin words ob and audire meaning
to hear. The disciples try to serve the Lord by heeding his words.
Once a religious sister described the call of God that she
had as a young woman. She said that she had struggled a lot with the idea of
a religious vocation. She wondered if she had not been like Mary when the
angel told her that she was going to be the mother of God. As Mary responded, "’How
can it be?,’" the sister could not believe that God was calling her to
religious life. However, she eventually surrendered, in her words, "to the
goodness and love of God."
The call to religious life, the priesthood, and the
diaconate is not found every day. It demands a particular courage because the
one who has been called has to go against the drift. Most people have families
of their own that give them enormous meaning. In contrast, the religious and
the priest have the community of faith.
This brings them both respect and indifference. Yes, people love nuns
and priests. But in almost all cases the affection does not last long due to changes of assignments.
The Lord's call extends to the laity as well. Like the
religious, the laity must pray regularly and serve the Lord. The Second Vatican
Council insisted on the layperson's call to holiness. We all know examples of committed
lay persons. An obituary appeared in the newspaper the other day describing the
life of a certain layman called to holiness. It said the man was a successful
farmer who also helped African Americans in their struggle for civil rights. He
served in his parish as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and an
instructor of the Bible. Asked how he wanted to be remembered, he replied:
"As a Christian who believed in the brotherhood of man and tried to live
that truth with his family, friends, and community."
Is it possible to live as a Christian without being called
to a life close to Jesus? Can one be a true Christian if after attending Mass
on Sunday he does whatever he wants on Monday? Or can a person be a Christian
who does not pray, but regularly does charitable works? We have to answer
"no" to these questions because the disciple of Christ must always
follow him. However, we must admit that we are all in the process of
conversion. The Lord has called everyone. For one reason or another some take longer to respond.
Some bishops are at pains when talking about vocations. They
know that everyone has a call from God, be it to religious life, the sacrament
of Holy Orders, or the committed laity. But bishops today are in enormous
need of priests and religious. This is not a win and lose game. May more
lay people respond to the call of Jesus. So as the grains of wheat spring from shoots,
there will be more women and men with the courage to go against the drift.
