"SPEAK, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING"

"SPEAK, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING"

It is not uncommon that in my previous reflections, we have stressed the idea of the importance of knowing how to listen to God. Let us remember that it is of utmost importance to listen to God, so much so, that when God reveals the commandments to Moses, before even mentioning the first of them, God himself says: “Listen, Israel” (Dt 6: 4). Knowing how to listen and know how to discern what we hear can allow us to have an authentic relationship with God.

In today's first reading (1 Sam 3: 3b-10, 19) a young Samuel had no experience of God in his life, until God himself began to call him by name. Samuel confuses the voice of God with that of Eli. It will be Eli himself who guides Samuel on how to converse with God: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” We have to let our self be guided by the wisdom of those who already know the path.

Many years later, the importance of listening and discernment is once again emphasized through the gospels. In today's gospel (Jn 1: 35-42), the first disciples of John the Baptist have clearly heard that the identity of Jesus as the Lamb of God has been revealed to them, which is why they begin to follow him. And by following Jesus they become his first disciples, and the first attitude of every disciple is to know how to listen to the teacher. To know the teacher better, it is essential to make use of the time to be with Him, not only to listen to Him but to live with Him, hence Jesus himself will invite those first two disciples to be with Him. 

Christ has already called us by our names, and asks us to follow Him, to stay with Him, since He desires to stay and engage us in His word and His precious Body and Blood. Christ has also given us a mission: that we be able to bring the Good News that has been revealed to us to all corners of the world that have not yet heard of the love of God.

Fr. Carlos Flores, OSA