A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 4, n. 8)
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – January 15, 2006
“The Call and Response”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 3:3b-10 // I Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20 // Jn 1:35-42
N.B. This new series of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY presents a biblico-liturgical study of the Old Testament reading of each Sunday Mass to serve as background for a better understanding of the Gospel proclaimed in the liturgy. For a biblico-liturgical study of the Gospel for each Sunday, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
With the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, which falls on a weekday this year – on Monday of the first week in Ordinary Time, we close the beautiful Christmas-Epiphany season and enter into the first part of the Ordinary Season of the Year, when we delve more deeply into the messianic ministry and the pastoral significance of the coming of Christ, the incarnate saving Word of the Father’s love for us. The Sunday celebration in the Ordinary Season fittingly begins with the Gospel episode of the call and response of the first disciples (Jn 1:35-42). Jesus Christ, the “epiphany” of the Father’s saving love and the light to all the nations, initiates the process of discipleship as he draws people to a special, intimate relationship with him in view of a specific ministry in the saving plan of God.
The Benedictine professor, Demetrius Dumm comments on the vocation narrative recorded by the evangelist John: “In John’s version of the call of the first disciples, we read that two of them were following Jesus. When he turned and saw them following him, he asked ‘What are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means a teacher),’ where are you staying?’ ‘Come and see,’ he replied. In view of John’s love for symbolism, it would be a mistake to see this simply as a friendly exchange. Rather, the question of Jesus implies that he perceives in them (and in us) that deep longing that is characteristic of humans when they allow themselves to be in touch with their true condition … The disciples call him ‘Rabbi’ because they sense that if he knows their innermost yearning, he must also know where to find what they seek; he must be a teacher of truth. So they ask him, Where are you staying? They are certainly not asking for his address. Their question means, ‘Where can we find you and learn from you about our true home?’ Jesus says in reply, Come and see. He does not give a pat answer; he offers instead an invitation to walk with him and to learn what living in hope means, what the journey means – to learn of its pain but also of its joy, and most of all of its happy ending, its true homecoming.”
The liturgy of this Sunday invites us to contemplate not only the gracious character of the divine call, but also the ready response of those called. The response of the Andrew and John to Jesus’ invitation, “Come and see” (Jn 1:39a) was prompt and decisive: “So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day” (Jn 3:39b). Indeed, the dynamic of Christian vocation and discipleship can be better understood when seen against the backdrop of the Old Testament reading (I Sm 3:3b-10, 19) concerning the call of Samuel.
Susan Myers gives us an insight on the vocation story of Samuel: “Samuel was the model prophet and leader of the Hebrew people before they were organized under a monarchy. In fact, it was Samuel who anointed the first king of Israel, Saul and his successor, David. This passage is a classic story of the call of the prophet and provides a fitting introduction to the calling of Jesus’ first disciples in today’s gospel. Just before the beginning of today’s selection, the text indicates that visions and prophetic hearing of the word of God were rare, so it is not surprising that neither Samuel nor Eli understood what was happening. God calls three times before Eli understands who is speaking. Imagine Eli’s exasperation at having his sleep repeatedly interrupted, and consider as well Samuel’s frustration at not being understood. But after Samuel responds to the one who is calling him, he receives further revelations, which he guards with reverence. All of Israel eventually comes to recognize him as a prophet of God.”
Upon the promptings of the elderly prophet Eli, the answer of young Samuel to the call of God was “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (I Sm 3:10). The biblical scholar, Eugene Maly underlines the importance of the acceptance of the word of God as an essential element in our obedient response to God’s call. He explains: “In the Hebrew language the word usually translated ‘obey’ means literally ‘listen to’. The same is true of the Greek word used in the New Testament … When we think of the word ‘obey’, we think of someone doing exactly what one has been asked or told to do. Obedience is gauged by conformity to the spoken or written word. This is what is meant by ‘obeying the law’. An exclusive emphasis on this leads to a dead legalism or conformism. Underlying the biblical words is the thought of one hearing or reading the words of another and allowing those words to enter into one’s mind and heart. Then, in accord with the truth and goodness of those words and in accord with one’s openness to others, a person will act … Note that the emphasis is not on the action. Rather, it is on the acceptance of the word. If the word is a good word and if the acceptance is genuine and wholehearted, the action will inevitably follow … At the end of the reading we hear that ‘Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.’ Because he had obeyed the Lord in accepting his words and allowing them to have free play within his being, so the Lord made Samuel’s word effective, too. He would be obeyed and listened to by the people.”
The vocation story of Samuel also underlines the importance of vocation promoters in the history of salvation. The aged prophet Eli played an interpretative role in discerning the divine origin of the call of Samuel. In today’s Gospel, we see the laudable roles of John the Baptist and Andrew in promoting the vocation to Christian discipleship. They are instruments in discerning and following the Incarnate Word of God to be followed. The early Church leader, Basil of Seleucia (d. 459) observes: “Taking Peter with him, Andrew brought his brother to the Lord, thus making him his fellow-disciple. This was Andrew’s first achievement: he increased the number of the apostles by bringing Peter to Christ, so that Christ might find in him the disciples’ leader. When later on Peter was approved, it was thanks to the seed sown by Andrew.” Indeed, what we need today are selfless and zealous vocation promoters who sow the seed of God’s call in the hearts of all.
PERSONAL REFLECTION (# 1)
By Piesy Ledesma
Like John the Baptist, the two disciples await the day of the Lord, the coming of the savior. John points out Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, and this has drawn the disciples to follow Jesus into his home, his inner sanctuary.
Jesus invited them to see where he could be found. What could have moved the disciples to stay until the ending of the day and be found invested in God’s abiding presence?
In that sanctuary, they found the law not written in tablets, but the person of him whose light never fades, whose Word is never broken. They found the Lamb for the sacrifice, the Victim in expiation for the sin that wounded the glory and the divine image that were once of man. St. Paul attests to this in his letter to the Corinthians: “God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Who can fathom such profound grace – that God all holy and pure entered the fallen state of man in the flesh to destroy sin forever?
What a joyous event this visit must have been for the disciples! It wasn’t a formal transient one, but a complete rest that indeed has remained in their hearts. They brought Jesus with them into their home, their inner sanctuary. The silence which lay still for so long has now been broken. This impelled them to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah to those dearest to them and to the rest of the world.
PERSONAL REFLECTION (# 2)
by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
The vocation story of Samuel and the call of the first Christian disciples remind me of my own response to God’s call. When I was a teenager, my father was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. The doctors believed that he would not live more than three months. I vowed that I would become a nun if God would heal my father. My father was healed and was to live thirty more years, instead of just three more months.
A year after my father was healed, my three younger brothers and I went for vacation in my Auntie’s home in the province. Fr. Peter Barrisoro, a priest from the Society of St. Paul, was also there for a few days rest. One pleasant afternoon, we were in the yard conversing with him while he was cleaning his motorcycle. My talkative and impertinent kid brother blurted out that I would like to be a sister. The priest became enthusiastic and told me that he would like to introduce me to the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, whose convent is in Antipolo, near Manila. He invited me to visit the Sisters whom he knew very well since he was their chaplain. A few days after we returned to Manila, he picked me up. Together with another young lady, we went to the convent in Antipolo. When its gate was opened and I saw the verdant, peaceful garden, a sense of serenity and harmony swept over me. In the chapel, I saw a Sister in flowing blue mantle praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and felt an indescribable fascination for this life of total consecration to God. What intensified my desire to be a religious was the witness of charity, joy and goodness of the community. In the convent, I felt the presence of God most intensely and Christ’s invitation, “Come and see” became more impelling. After finishing another school year in the University of the Philippines, I entered the convent on May 3, 1970.
The origin of my religious vocation is God who had manifested himself to me most strongly in the paschal event of my father’s sickness and healing. A family crisis was an occasion for him to draw me to himself in a most intimate way. Moreover, God used an impertinent kid brother and many kindly persons as instruments to help me discern my religious vocation. One day I finally made a decisive step toward accepting the Divine Master’s invitation, “Come and see”. I went with him, saw where he was staying and stayed with him.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. Are we ready to listen to the Word of God and respond to his call? Do we allow ourselves the time and the leisure for prayer and meditation on the Word of God?
B. Are we ready to be instruments of God’s call for others and facilitate their response to him?
C. How do we contribute personally and as a community to the vocational ministry in the Church?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(From Ps 40)
Response: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
1. I have waited, waited for the Lord,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
2. Sacrifice and offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said, “Behold I come.”
3. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
4. I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (I Sm 3:10)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray in thanksgiving for your own gift of Christian vocation and for the gift of priestly and religious vocations in the Church. Assist the vocational ministry in your parish or diocese and see how you can contribute spiritually and materially to a candidate in priestly or religious life. Pray for the perseverance of all priests and religious.
B. ACTION PLAN: To celebrate the gift of Christian-priestly-religious vocation in the Church and in order to give homage to Jesus, the source of all vocations, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 2, n. 8): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US