January 15, 2012

Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 65

Reading 1 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am, " he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."

At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me."
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
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.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"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!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading 2 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the immoral person sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body.

Gospel Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" - which translated means Teacher -,
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah" - which is translated Christ -.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas" - which is translated Peter.

Scripture Study

Today, the church celebrates the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. The name of this season does not mean that it is unimportant time. Rather, it is derived from the word, "Ordo" which in its various forms means ordered or counted because it consists of the counted Sundays of the year. During Ordinary Time, the Lectionary readings tend to focus less on specific doctrinal issues or mysteries of salvation history and more on how one is to live as a disciple of Christ. The first lesson in this course on discipleship comes today as we reflect on how we hear the call of God in our lives. Samuel is presented, in the first reading, as one who hears God call for the first time and seeks to respond with openness and obedience. Because of the obedience with which Samuel accepted God's word, the Lord never permitted Samuel's words to be without effect. What kind of reception does God's call receive in my life? How well do I hear the word of God? The question that Jesus asked the two disciples of John who went after Him is also a question that He asks us today. What is it that I am looking for? What kind of messiah am I searching for? Paul reminds us, in the second reading, that our actions have importance. God cares about how I act and what I do because He calls me to make Jesus Lord of all of it. Improper behavior negates my commitment to Christ and impedes my ability to be the presence of Jesus in the world. How much of my life have I placed under the Lordship of Jesus?

NOTES on First Reading:

* 3:3-10 This is a story of how the Word of God first came to Samuel. It serves as a story of his call to be a prophet and serves much the same function in the Samuel cycle of stories as the stories of the inaugural visions of the other prophets.

* 3:3 The lamp is not simply a reference to oil lamps but to the light of God's word. Although it had become rare the word of God had not yet left Israel altogether.

* 3:7-8 Samuel's lack of understanding is perhaps understandable due to his youth and lack of experience with the Lord, but Eli's lack of recognition of the Lord's call to Samuel until He had called three times is probably intended to emphasize the rarity of prophecy in those days and the gulf that Eli had allowed to develop between him and the Lord. In many ways this story is a study in contrast between Samuel's eagerness to hear and serve the Lord and the stubbornness of the house of Eli.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 6:12-20 It was the opinion of some factions in Corinth that sexuality is a morally indifferent area. Because of this, Paul explains the mutual relation between the Lord Jesus and our bodies in a densely packed paragraph that contains elements of a profound theology of sexuality (1 Cor 6:15-20).

* 6:12-13 These verses begin with a Corinthian slogan that is, to some extent, derived from Paul's thought but carried to an extreme. They consider sexual satisfaction a matter as indifferent as food, and they attribute no lasting significance to bodily functions (1 Cor 6:13a). Paul deals with this idea by providing two qualifications: Not everything is beneficial (1 Cor 10:23) to the community and in fact some things destroy it (Gal 4:9), and the argument of 1 Cor 8-10 concerning the finality of freedom and moral activity. He emphasizes that many apparently free actions actually involve a secret servitude in conflict with the lordship of Jesus.

* 6:13-14 This section begins with another Corinthian slogan intended to prove that physical actions have no moral value. Paul uses it to show an illogical result if it is applied without restraint. Paul insists that sexual behavior is not strictly analogous to keeping dietary laws. If our bodies are to be raised, then God must attach some importance to the actions for which our bodies are used. There is an inconsistency in claiming membership in the body of Christ and at the same time using one's body for sexually immoral purposes.

* 6:15 Casual sexual use of another person by a Christian negates his commitment to carrying on the mission of Christ that the Church has been given. If we are the presence of Christ in the world, then we must act as is appropriate for members of Christ's body.

* 6:15b-16 The reference to a prostitute may be specifically to religious prostitution which was an accepted part of pagan culture at Corinth and most of the ancient world but the prostitute also serves as a symbol for any sexual relationship that conflicts with Christ's claim over us individually.
Paul quotes the text of Genesis 2:24 (The two . . . will become one flesh). This text is applied positively to human marriage in Matthew and Mark, and in Eph 5:29-32 where love of husband and wife reflect the love of Christ for his church. Application of the same text to sexual union with a prostitute was intended to be jarring to the sensibilities, for such a union is a parody, an antitype of marriage, which conflicts with Christ's claim over us. This explains the horror expressed in 15b.

* 6:16 Taking the transitory pleasure of sexual union without real communication and the full union of persons violates the Creator's intention for the sexual act (Gen 2:24).

* 6:18 Paul refers to a third Corinthian slogan : "Every sin is outside the body" is intended by certain factions in Corinth to mean that actions don't count only motives count. Paul holds that by refusing to involve themselves with the other person as real partners in life but only as physical sex partners they have perverted the intent of the most intimate physical act and failed to live up to the call of God.

* 6:19-20 The holiness of the community must be reflected in the comportment of each member because each is possessed by the Spirit and belongs to Christ. Paul uses the image of having been ransomed such as a prisoner or a slave might be. By proper use of the body we serve and glorify God the Creator. By improper use of the same body we deeply offend Our Lord and His Father and we defile the temples that the indwelling Holy Spirit has made of our bodies.

Courtesy of: http://www.st-raymond-dublin.org:80/scripture.php - St. Raymond Parish, Dublin, CA

Meditation: "Behold the Lamb of God!"

 Who is Jesus for you? John calls Jesus the Lamb of God and thus signifies Jesus' mission as the One who redeems us from our sins. The blood of thePassover Lamb (Exodus 12) delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death. The blood of Jesus, the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), delivers us from everlasting death and destruction. It is significant that John was the son of a priest, Zachariah, who participated in the daily sacrifice of a lamb in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29). In Jesus he saw the true and only sacrifice which can deliver us from sin. How did John know the true identity of Jesus, as the Messiah? The Holy Spirit revealed to John Jesus' true nature, such that John bore witness that this is the Son of God. How can we be certain that Jesus is truly the Christ, the Son of the God? The Holy Spirit makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith.  God gives us freely of his Spirit that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

John in his characteristic humility was eager to point beyond himself to the Christ.  He did not hesitate to direct his disciples to the Lord Jesus. When two of John’s disciples began to seek Jesus out, Jesus took the initiative to invite them into his company. He did not wait for them to get his attention. Instead he met them halfway. He asked them one of the most fundamental questions of life: “What are you looking for?” What were they looking for in Jesus and what were they aiming to get out of life? Jesus asks each of us the same question: “What’s the goal of your life?  What  are you aiming for and trying to get out of life?”

Jesus invites each of us to "come and see" for ourselves that his word is true and everlasting. "Come and see" is God's invitation for fellowship and communion with the One who made us in love for love. Augustine of Hippo tells us something very important about God and how he relates to us: “If you hadn’t been called by God, what could you have done to turn back?  Didn’t the very One who called you when you were opposed to Him make it possible for you to turn back?”  It is God who initiates and who draws us to himself.  Without his grace, mercy, and help we could not find him.

When we discover something very important and valuable it's natural to want to share it with those closest to us.  Andrew immediately went to his brother Simon and told him the good news of his discovery of Jesus. And it didn't take much to get Simon to "come and see" who this Jesus was. Jesus reached out to Simon in the same way he did to Andrew earlier.  He not only addressed Simon by his personal name, but he gave him a new name which signified the call God had for him.  "Cephas" or "Peter" literally means "rock".  To call someone a "rock" was one of the greatest compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon". Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was -- the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God. The New Testament describes the church as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks or spiritual stones. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith to know Jesus personally, power to live the gospel faithfully, and courage to witness to others the joy and truth of the gospel. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to draw us near to himself.  Do you seek to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ?

"Lord Jesus Christ, fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit and let me grow in the knowledge of your love and truth. Let your Spirit be aflame in my heart that I may know and love you more fervently and strive to do your will in all things."

---

This reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager, whose website is located at: http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/

January 15
St. Paul the Hermit
(c. 233-345)

It is unclear what we really know of Paul's life, how much is fable, how much fact.

Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. He was also a learned and devout young man. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution ended, but the sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay.
He went on to live in that cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude a bird began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.
St. Anthony of Egypt [January 17] attests to his holy life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man more perfect than himself. The raven that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.
Thought to have been about 112 when he died, Paul is known as the "First Hermit." His feast day is celebrated in the East; he is also commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the Mass.

Comment:

The will and direction of God are seen in the circumstances of our lives. Led by the grace of God, we are free to respond with choices that bring us closer to and make us more dependent upon the God who created us. Those choices might at times seem to lead us away from our neighbor. But ultimately they lead us back both in prayer and in fellowship to one another.