Homily: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, YR B

Speak Lord. Your Servant is Listening

by Fr. William Holtzinger

January 15, 2006

 

When I was a young child, I was often asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Indeed, I think we all were.  We might have thought about becoming a fireman, policeman, an artist, a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, etc.  In the course of our growing up, we eventually started asking ourselves what we wanted.  But, did you ever ask God what he wanted you to do?  I wonder if sometimes we just don’t listen.

Samuel, in the first reading, had been brought up in the temple and so was very conditioned to be responsive to God’s calling.  Yet, even he had to be asked three times.  The Corinthians had to be told many times by Paul what God was asking of them.  We hear just one of their issues today.  And finally, Peter.  Peter responded to Jesus at the promptings of his brother, Andrew.
 

There are so many things fighting for our attention.  We are being told what to do by our society and it is very difficult to listen to God.  In fact, when you spend time to pray, what do you do?  Do you not begin offering a memorized prayer like the Hail Mary or the Our Father?  These are good, but we are always talking.  How can God ever get a word in with all the noise we make in our prayers?  I propose that in order to understand what God is calling us to do, we must spend time in silence and just listen.  Try it for 5 minutes every day.  Nothing will fall apart if you spend 5 minutes listening.  
 

Do not say anything.   Just listen. 

Try not to get distracted by all your worries.  Just listen.  

Don’t think about the things that need to be cleaned.  Just listen. 

Don’t worry about the homework that needs to be done. Just listen.

Don’t think about the food that you need to buy.   Just listen.  

Don’t think about the phone call you need to make. Just listen. 

Don’t worry about the game on TV you “have to watch.” Just listen.

Put down the busyness and just listen.

Don’t think about the meal you need to make.  Just listen.  

Don’t problem solve the issues at work.   Just listen.   

Don’t worry about your bills you need to pay.   Just listen. 

Forget about yourself for a moment... for 5 minutes and just listen.

 

The best investment you can make in your family and in your own faith is to spend time not just in prayer, but also in listening.  Samuel became a great prophet because he listened.  Paul became a great apostle to the Corinthians and the world because he listened.  Peter became the head of the Church and the first of Jesus’ apostles because he listened.  All of these did so because they listened.  So, slow down for a moment.  Do not worry.  Do not fear.  Do not let the cares of the world weigh solely on your shoulders.  Remember God wants to share it with you.  There is no future in worrying, and it may seem like wasting time just sitting and listening to God.  But the sacrifice you make in listening will be the single greatest investment in discerning the answer to the question, what does God want me to do.