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 2 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.
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.
Meditation: John 1:35-42
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“Behold, the Lamb of God.” (John 1:36)
Most of us became Catholics as infants, when our parents presented us to the church for baptism. That makes us “cradle Catholics,” a term that has positive and negative connotations. On the positive side, our hearts were opened to the gospel at a very early age. But on the negative side, being brought up in a Catholic environment, we may assume that we are doing just fine without questioning our faith or deciding for ourselves whether we really do believe in Jesus.
The truth is, we all need to choose for Jesus at some point in our lives. We all need to proclaim in our hearts: “I have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). This is what happened to Andrew and Peter in today’s Gospel, and this is what ought to happen to every one of us.
What motivated these two men and all the other disciples to follow Jesus so radically? Simply put, they came to realize who he was. They came to see him as Lord and Savior, Messiah and Redeemer, and that realization changed their lives forever.
Those of us who are cradle Catholics can use today’s Gospel as a catalyst to ask ourselves: “Who do I think Jesus is?”
Because they took up Jesus’ invitation to come and see, Andrew and Peter’s hearts were changed (John 1:39). And that change of heart initiated a process of change in their minds as well. They began to think and act differently. Jesus wants to have the same impact on our lives. He wants to change the way we think and act. This renewal of our minds may take a lifetime, as it did for these apostles. But just as it happened for them, so must it happen for us: Every “mind-change” process begins with a “heart change.” We have to meet Jesus.
As Catholics, it is not enough to be “born into” the church because of our parents’ wishes. Each of us has to be able to say on our own: “I have found the Messiah!”
“Lord, open my eyes. I want to come and see you.”
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(1 Samuel 3:3-10,19; Psalm 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20; John 1:35-42)
1. In the first reading, we hear these words, “At that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord, because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.” In what ways has the Lord revealed himself to you?
2. Samuel is also advised to say to the Lord: “Speak. Lord, for your servant is listening.” To what extent do you consult the Lord in prayer before making an important decision? How expectant are you that the Lord will reveal himself to you or speak to you when you pray, receive the Eucharist, or read Scripture?
3. The responsorial psalm calls us to humbly turn to the Lord with these words, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” What part does saying yes to the Lord’s will play in how you live your life? Is it your “delight”? How can you be more in tune with the Lord’s will for your life?
4. In the second reading, we hear these words: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). What role does the Holy Spirit play in discerning God’s call for your life? What steps can you take to allow him to take a greater role?
5. In the Gospel reading, Peter was helped by his brother Andrew in bringing him to Jesus and recognizing the call of the Lord for his life. In what ways has God used other Christians to help you in growing in your faith in the Lord and discerning God’s will in specific circumstance? Do you believe that Jesus wants you to experience his love in a deeper way, so that you too will be compelled like Andrew to tell your brothers and sisters and bring them to him? Why or why not?
6. In the meditation, we hear these words: “The truth is, we all need to choose for Jesus at some point in our lives. We all need to proclaim in our hearts: ‘I have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).’ This is what happened to Andrew and Peter in today’s Gospel, and this is what ought to happen to every one of us.” How would you describe you own personal decision to “choose” Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
7. Take some time now to pray that God would give you the grace to experience his presence in your life in a deeper way—and the grace to tell others about Jesus. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
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