Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Sometimes it takes other people to point out the voice of God in our lives and help us to hear what God is trying to tell us.
Samuel was sleeping when the voice of the Lord woke him up — but he didn’t recognize it for what it was, because “At that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord.” He thought that someone else was calling his name. It took Eli, the priest in the temple, to say to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak LORD, for your servant is listening.” And when the Lord called to Samuel again, that is exactly what he said.
How many people were in line with Jesus when he came to John the Baptist? They didn’t recognize who Jesus was. To them, he was just another man waiting to be baptized by John. If they only knew who they were in line with! It took John the Baptist to look up, see Jesus, and say of him, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Even then, most would not understand who Jesus was — the savior who had come to redeem them on the cross. Their eyes were not yet open enough to see him.
And one more example from today’s scripture readings. Peter did not recognize Jesus until his brother, Andrew, told him, “We have found the Messiah,” and then literally brought Peter to Jesus.
I often think of my calling to the priesthood. It took a good friend of mine, a priest, and another good friend of mine, a religious sister, to say to me, “Did you ever think about being a priest”. Only then was the voice of Jesus calling me to the priesthood awakened within me. These two people helped me to recognize God’s call in me.
There are other types of examples, of course. People who invited us to go to Church with them; a woman who invited her husband to attend an RCIA session; a child who smiled at a person having a bad day, saying, “God loves you.” All of these people helped others to recognize the call of Jesus to walk with him and find joy in him.
May we never be afraid to invite others to see Jesus, to feel God’s love, and to know the truth of our faith. And may we always have good and faithful friends who are willing to point out the presence of God in our lives when we sometimes can’t see it for ourselves.
Have a blessed week everyone.