Sensitivity to God's call

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 1:35-42

We are much appreciative of our parents and those who introduced to us the ways of the faith for through them, we have known and observed it.  Today, we are capable of knowing what is bad and good; the good, we live out; the evil, we cast away.  Our religious practices and devotions are manifestations on how we are living out our faith.

But perhaps, we can aim for something better in our faith.  It is not just a set of formulae;  rather, Someone is calling us for something much greater.

This is the mystery of the call which Samuel heard.  It's not just an ordinary call.  He was instructed to respond accordingly, "Here am I, Lord, your servant is listening."

We dread the moment when we couldn't hear Him who call us everyday.  We dread every moment when we think we're the only ones conducting our lives, when we can hear what the world is saying, but cannot hear what He's saying.  God is the voice within, calling us to serve him everyday and every moment. How do we become sensitive to God's call?

First, acknowledge people and event pointing the way to Jesus.  In the Gospel, John declared, "There is the Lamb of God."  We learn about the faith through our parents, school, and church.  Let the things we learned deepen our relationship with Him.

Second, Jesus responded to the invitation of the 2 men, "Come and see."  And they followed him.  It was 4 in the afternoon.  It was at this point they were called "disciples".  A disciple follows the Lord 24 hours and for the rest of his life.  The disciple is formed according to the heart and mind of the one he's following.  We may respond to the call to be transformed according to the heart and mind of Jesus.

Third, "You shall be Cephas."   Jesus called Simon "Cephas."  When we follow Jesus, he will reveal to us our true selves, the one God intended us to be.

May parents give the best gift to their children - not only financial security in the future, but more importantly, their vocation in God.