SUNDAY JANUARY 14, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B
1 Samuel 3:3-10,19
1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20
John 1:35-42
CALLED TO A NEW LIFE OF GRACE
The Christian call is more a call for total life transformation. It is a change of lifestyle to a totally new mode of living. The significance of taking a new name during baptism, profession of vows and in other acts point to the expectation of this new mode and newness.
In the gospel of today, we recall the first mission of Christ. He began gathering disciples. And he began with those who had approached him after John the baptist witnessed to Christ. Calling Jesus the Lamb of God would have made a deep impression on these disciples because they left John and went after Jesus. They sought salvation. They knew what the term, “lamb of God” signifies. They had identified him as the messiah indeed and they requested to know where he lives.
The salvation of our souls must be experienced as Jesus tells them, “come and see.” They now went with Jesus and stayed with him. They have now experienced him closer. They are well convinced. They have discovered him whom their hearts delights. And they began the work of introducing people to Jesus from their experiences. Andrew said to Simon, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus”.
The call to the life in Christ is a special vocation given to all men. Anybody can be instrumental to others getting it. The first reading is a typical prototype of ancient call to vocation. Samuel heard the voice of God yet could not discern this voice. He kept on going to Eli anytime the voice called. He heard the voice but took it for the voice of Eli. Eli had the supreme task of directing him well and discerning for him the voice calling him. The instrumentality of persons to help others discern and discover Jesus and salvation cannot be over emphasized. God places us in positions to help identify for people the road to their salvation. We are Elis to different persons in life and we must never fail these people.
Again the gospel identified Andrew as the instrument that identified and took Simon Peter to the feet of Jesus. We must always recognize the value of our apostleship and mission as true witnesses.
But the greatest of all is to recognize that God’s call offers a new form of life, a newness in living, a new beginning and a new personality. It is the life of Grace. In the call of Simon Peter, we recognize this newness in the changing of the name of Simon to Peter. “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”
This new name is why the church has baptismal names, profession names and others. To take a new name is very significant. It signifies for Christians a total transformation from the root. A total new person. And recall that names has its own implication. So it is not just any name but a name that portray great symbolism. Peter means rock. A rock that will never be broken like his faith. So a new name is necessary to point us to the ideals of our new form and new life.
The newness is also about the life we are called to live. It is a life that is morally right, that is charitable, that looks towards God that is devoid of anything impure. The second reading calls our attention to the form of life every Christian must live. It is a morally upright life, that admits of no fornication, no adultery, and other sexual sins which today plague our world. It begins from immodesty in thoughts, in outlook, and in dressing.
A Christian must discern rightly on what causes us to sin or what leads us to the sins of the flesh. And that must be removed and avoided. We must also be pure in thought, and act. The Christian life is a life of grace that runs counter to illicit sexual life. We must struggle against all these and offer ourselves for the grace of God to help us overcome the tendency of sliding into this sin which many have made themselves comfortable in. Saint Paul warns us today to desist from this sin of the flesh because we are temples of the Holy Spirit.
As followers of Jesus, we must be resolute on this new life of grace and accept it wholeheartedly and live with it delightfully to the glory of our God.
God our Father, Samuel was led by Eli to recognise and answer your call. May your daily calls to us never fall on deaf ears. May we recognize your voice and accept the new life of grace and live it daily to the glory of your name. Save and deliver us from all sexual sins and make us pure in heart, body and mind through Jesus Christ our Lord
Fr Norbert Uchuno
