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| Jesus listened to His Father in prayer. |
Texts: 1 Samuel 3: 1-10.19-20; Psalm 40:2,5,7-10; Mark 1:29-39
We have, in today’s first reading, the story of the call of Samuel. The reading provides what could be the reason for confusing God’s call with that of men. It says, “And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” This means God inaugurated a new era with Samuel. He ushered in a new dawn. This sheds more light on the call of God. God’s call is to bring positive change to our environment and the world at large. Prophets proved this as they called the people to repentance.
The change is possible only by listening to God. We learn from Samuel the possibility of confusing the call of the flesh with the call of God. What could be the reason? It is rarity of God’s word and vision for Samuel. What is it for used? This happens when personal interest and ego set in. It also happens when we are more zealous than God. Listening to God requires open mind and humility: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. We have to give up our personal interest to have open mind and ego to humble ourselves.
Jesus listened to His Father in prayer
Today’s Psalm also emphasises listening to God. It says, “You delight not in sacrifice and offerings, but in an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Then I said, ‘See, I have come.’” Jesus Christ teaches us to listen to God when He retreated to a lonely place for prayer. We read, “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.” He listened to His Father in prayer. Prayer is not only about talking to God but also listening to Him.
We also needs to trust in God’s wisdom and might. This will help us not to be more zealous than God. Hence, the psalm says, “Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord, and has not gone over to the proud who follow false gods.” The lesson not to be more zealous than God is clear in the gospel reading: “And they found him and said to him, ‘Every one is searching for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.’" If He were to be over zealous, He would have attended to those searching for Him.
Why did He not attend to them?
Something that is also worth attention is the fact that they were searching for Him. Why did He not attend to them? They had listened to Him already and had enough to inspire faith in them. Those who were yet to hear Him were in more dire need of Him. Hence, He says, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out."
Prayer
God of Mercy, open our ears to listen to You and also speak about Your love; that we may make positive change in our environment and the world at large. Amen
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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