HOMILY FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

1.1Sam 3:3b-10,19

2. 1Cor 6:13c -15a,17-20

Gospel: Jn1: 35-42

                                     

                                      Come and see

Dear brothers and sisters today we are being invited to be attentive listeners to the voice of God. This is clearly manifested in our today's readings. In the world we are living we hear many voices to an extent that we fail sometimes to hear the voice of God. Hearing the voice of God is a calling to respond to God's calling. The first reading from the book of Samuel, we hear Samuel being called by God, however, Samuel in his response to the voice of God he confuses the real voice of God who is calling him to the voice of his father. Thus Samuel in this perspective has not known exactly the real voice of the one calling him, in his thinking he thought that his Father Eli is one who was calling him.

Listening to God's voice is the essence of religion, it is the nourishment of our spiritual lives. When we come to celebrate the Mass the first thing the Church does is to offer us God's word. Then having received His word for our hearts and minds we receive His Word made flesh for our human nature  in Holy Communion. The truth is that, God has a word for each one of us. The story of Samuel in our first reading is the story that we should make our own. When we make our daily prayers to God like Samuel we should obediently respond to Him: " Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." This is the call to humility and obedience in fulfilling God's calling to each one of us.

To respond to the real voice of God Samuel is being called three times, the third time is the moment when he identifies the real voice of the one calling him. From this context we learn the fact that to respond to God's calling is the process, it is not a prompt action. Sometimes when God calls each one of us to be His servant we become confused with the ways God uses to call each one of us to be his/ her servant. When God calls us, He also leaves us free, He gives us time and choice to respond to His calling. We can imagine when He called Samuel three times, it was a time for Samuel to either respond to God's call or ignore it. This is an invitation to us all to understand that whenever calls a person to serve Him He simply does not oblige but He leaves each one free to respond to a calling or to refuse in accordance with one's will.

From the Gospel reading according to St. John the evangelist we are all being invited to come, to see and finally to stay with Jesus. The gospel writer, initiates this coming of God to us by introducing two of his own disciples to Jesus, Andrew being the key player. John points Jesus out to them by exclaiming : " Look, there is the Lamb of God! It is sort of like being at social function when a very significant person enters the room and a friend says to you : Well look who's here!"

From the gospel's scenario we hear a conversation that develops between Andrew and Jesus, a conversation sprinkled with seeking words like, " What do you want?" " Where do you live?" " Come and see," It is from these words we have our today's reflection.  When these disciples asked Jesus these questions that seem to be simple meanwhile they are having more theological relevance to our lives. Jesus by responding to these disciples by simple answer, " come and see" wanted to make a difference in his disciples attitude of looking at things and thinking. Jesus by responding to His disciples to go and to see, wanted to stay with them, to show them how He lives.

We need to note the difference between seeing and acting. In life we have got two cases, that is to see, and to act. When Jesus called these disciples to see where he lives, significantly He wanted them to see first and finally to practice what they would see where Jesus lived. The disciples were invited by Jesus to and stay with Him in order that they could learn a school of Christian virtues like, love, prayer, humility, forgiveness etc. The disciples were called to come and see in order that they could live closer with Jesus. Jesus invited them in order to show them how to form the Christian community of believers. The disciples were invited to be taught how they should live with others without living in isolation.

We are all called to understand that the end of Christian religion is to form a friendship that should exist between ourselves and God in Jesus Christ. This is one operative principle throughout Christ's entire life. Even at the end of His life during the Last Supper, Jesus gets down on His knees, washes feet, stands up and looking each one in the eyes says: " I no longer call you slaves.... I call you friends." From the history we know that Jesus had no army. He neither needed one nor wanted one. He had the only one power with which to conquer the human spirit, the power of a loving friendship. That is the only thing that can invade and conquer the human heart. Brute force always fails; love always wins.

For no matter what happens in our world or in our spiritual lives, or in our relationships with others, we can always find our way once again with those seeking and questing words we heard in today's gospel message to you and to me. " What do you want?"  " Come and see!" God has a word for you. He has something to say to you in words of friendship and love. For the sake of your own soul, let Him do something in your life.   

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