Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Jn 1:35-42
GROW: Have you ever seen The Good Place? While clearly not theologically accurate, it is a thought-provoking Netflix comedy that focuses on four good but flawed characters who meet in the afterlife. I can relate to the character of Chidi, who strives to live a moral life but is crippled by indecisiveness. Do I buy the brown shoes or the black ones? Should I order the salad or the salmon? And I still can’t decide on a career! So I’m amazed at John and the disciples in today’s Gospel. John immediately recognizes Jesus as the Lamb of God. Hearing this, do the disciples ask for a second opinion or draw up a pros and cons list? Nope. They follow him. They recognize the Messiah and act. Their response of faith challenges me to think less and do more, to worry less and pray more. We may not see Jesus in his human form walking by, but we can see his image in others, and hear him through the Scriptures and at Mass. Let us pray for the grace to respond wholeheartedly.
GO: Everyone loves an invitation, though perhaps we’ve forgotten what those are like during these months of pandemic. Today’s readings remind me that, pandemic notwithstanding, we all have a standing invitation from God; it’s up to us to respond. When Samuel heard God’s voice in the night, he listened. In today’s responsorial psalm, we hear, “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.” And the Gospel tells us how the disciples dropped everything to follow Jesus. Through prayer, we, too can listen for God’s voice and respond. And, just as Eli realized God was calling Samuel and John encouraged the disciples, we can accompany others. By sharing our experience and inviting others to share the way Jesus has spoken to them, we can encourage one another as we seek to turn our lives over to God.
STUDY: Many of us slow down a bit during these wintry months after the holidays. Why not use our “down time” to listen to God’s word, not only by attending Mass in-person or online, but through popular apps like iMissal and Word on Fire. Invite friends to do the same and then hold each other accountable by initiating an online group to discuss each week's readings.
