2nd
Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 18, 2018
I
–Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
R
–Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
II
– Your bodies are members of Christ.
A
– We have found the Messiah: Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
G –They
saw where he was staying and they stayed with him.
+ Today we begin the 34 weeks “Ordinary Time” series of
Sunday celebrations – which will only be interrupted
beginning in mid-February for a 15-week Lent/Easter Season highlight. As we set
the stage for these 34 “counting [ordinal] weeks” or “teaching weeks,” we find
a three-part theme today: the calling of
qualified “teachers,” the willingness of would-be students, the authenticity of
the Master-Teacher.
· The first part
regarding the calling of qualified
“teachers,” we see in the first reading how Samuel is called personally by
God to be his spokesman, to be a Prophet beyond reproach, to work with God’s
people during a particularly difficult time in their growth and development.
Samuel did not doubt the Lord’s selection of him as “teacher” “intercessor”
“friend” of his people; and he is therefore set up for us as a model for
“listening” to the call of God when it comes, however it may come, so to do
what he wants us to do in helping others.
· The second part has to do with the
audience, the students, the
disciples who will benefit from what a teacher has to say: it is often said
that when the student is ready, the
teacher will appear; in this case the people of God who seemed to be always
finding themselves in all kinds of compromising situations having to do with
their salvation; God, being very fond of this people, therefore, sends them
always the personnel they need when they need it: at this time in their history
they needed Prophets who would speak
loudly to them his wishes, desires, exhortations and warnings; and the people
for the most part were quite ready to listen, to specially chosen ministers
such as Samuel.
· Lastly, the third part of the
teaching theme has to do with the Truth,
the Rock, the Authenticity of the chief Message and Messenger – who are one
and the same Person: Jesus Christ.
All of the Prophets pointed to Jesus; the truths they were delivering from God,
pointed to God’s own delivering to his people of his own Word, the Truth, the Message-made-flesh – so that we could be
absolutely certain that where we stand now is exactly where we need to be, and
that the fulfillment of all of our dreams for health and wholeness, justice and
peace would be beyond our wildest imaginings – in a Kingdom yet to be fully
revealed!
And
so as we begin our trek through this liturgical landscape of
sights and sounds and smells of the ancient world, this new liturgical year, which
will be different than any other year, because this new year has never been here
before, and we are not the same person, in many ways that we were last year at
this new beginning - may we be assured that our Guide, our Master, our Teacher,
our Friend: Jesus, will point out everything we need to know for our spiritual
welfare day by day; and that at the end of this year’s journey, we may be much
more deeply in love with him, and his Father, and his Mother Mary, and all the
saints who live and have lived his message, his teachings, to the maximum,
throughout the ages, thus encouraging us with hope and giving us the same to
share with others.
We
have found the Messiah; Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
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