* Second Sunday (B), January 18, 2009
* Theme: Call and Response; Lead to the Lord

* Cristo Negro de Esquipulas, Guatemala
* Thursday night, January 15
* Over 1,000 people in the church
* Most from Mexico and Central America
* Many from other parts of Latin America, as well as a few from the Philippines (there to show support)
* Called by the image of Christ Crucified
* People responded with a devotion that touched the hearts of all those present

* Today’s readings are also about a Call and a Response to God
* In the first reading, although Samuel was young, he was already living in the temple.
* Hannah, his mother, had not borne any children so she went to the temple in Shiloh to pray.
* She made a promise that if she had a child she would dedicate the child to God.
* Eli, the aged prophet, was to care for and train the boy whom, we are told, “At that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord.”
* It was in the temple, while asleep, that Samuel first heard God speak.
* Like Samuel, we may experience God’s presence and voice in the “temple”, i.e. while at worship or during a visit to a church.
* However, unlike Samuel, we do not spend all our time in a temple or church.
* It is good to remember that God’s revelation is not reserved to a select few or to a special place.
* When and where have we heard God’s voice?
* For most of us it was probably when we were busy about the usual details of daily life.
* Working, driving, visiting a sick friend
* At those moments we might want to pause and, using Eli’s encouraging words, pray: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

* Today’s Gospel sums up the Call and Response life of a believer.
* When the Baptist points out the Christ to his disciples, they follow him.
* Jesus turns to them and asks the question, “What are you looking for?”
* They seem not to know what to say; they respond, “Where are you staying?”
* Their real response was that they stayed with him and listened

* John the Baptist not only sees Jesus – he has insight about Jesus.
* John names Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”
* In our Eucharistic celebration we invoke Jesus by this title.
* In our Gloria we pray: “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.”
* At the Breaking of the Bread we pray three times: “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world have mercy on us…have mercy on us…grant us peace.”
* Who is this Jesus that calls us?
* For his Jewish hearers and us the title “Lamb of God” evokes a rich and challenging meaning.
* We remember in the Exodus, the blood of the lamb was smeared on the doorposts and lintels of the homes of the enslaved Jews to protect them from the Angel of Death.
* Isaiah, in his Servant Song (ch 52), describes the servant as a lamb who is led to the slaughter for our offenses.
* The gospel tells us that the Christ, the Paschal Lamb, will free us from sin and death.

* At our communion rite the presider will invite us to come forward to eat and drink saying: “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
* This call is an invitation to come forward to profess our faith in the One who invites us, as he invited Andrew and his companion
* We come forward because we want to see, as the first disciples did – “to see” where Christ dwells.
* To open our eyes so we can come to know and follow Jesus and his ways.
* The Lamb of God chose the way of a servant, so that we could come to know God’s love for us.
* The Lamb was victorious over sin and darkness, so that we could be freed from what holds us captive and see our way through the darkness and distractions of our world.
* We come forward to receive him in Paul’s words today as “members of Body of Christ”
* As our Church motto says, “Many made one around the table of the Lord.”
* (Cf. Jude Siciliano, O. P.)

* One more point struck me about today’s readings: We also lead each other to the Lord:
* Samuel would never have understood the call if Eli had not pointed the young boy toward God.
* Also, Andrew and the other disciple would not have come close to Jesus unless the Baptist pointed him out.
* And it was Andrew who called Simon Peter and invited him to respond to Jesus.

* As we continue with our Liturgy,
* Let us open ourselves to the Call that God gives to each one of us as individuals and as a community
* Let us also be ready to bring others to the Lord by the inviting way we live our lives.

* Amen

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