SECOND SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME – 13th/14th JANUARY 2024 –

Good day everyone, I hope you are having a blessed start to the new year. After all the celebration of Christmas and New Years we have now returned to ordinary time in the Churches Calendar.

In the first reading from this Sunday we hear about how Samuel hears the voice of God but, since he was not accustomed to and familiar with God’s voice, he misinterpreted it. Yet, with the guidance of Eli, Samuel learns to listen, recognise and respond to God, and to allow God to accompany him throughout his life.

What about us? How familiar and accustomed are we with the voice of God? Do we perhaps, sometimes misinterpret Gods voice running to others like Samuel did with Eli? Yet, God continues to reach out and communicate with us with a desire to be known.

We hear about John the Baptist in the Gospel. He was someone who never seemed to have a problem recognising Jesus. From the womb he knew who Jesus was and responded. As an unborn child, he leapt with Joy in Elizabeth’s womb and as an adult he pointed others towards Jesus, the Lamb of God, so that they too could follow Him and know Him.

Jesus is always seeking to be in relationship with us and when He sees that we are attentive and following He reaches out asking to communicate with us. If Jesus were to ask me what I want, what would my response be? I invite you to spend sometime trying to answer that question.

The disciples that were following Him were curious and sought to know more about Him and Jesus was only to pleased to allow them to go with Him and spend time with Him. Often in the experience of an encounter with Jesus we recognise Him and are also moved, as with Andrew and Eli, to lead others to Him too. Peter needed Andrew to led him to Jesus and Samuel need Eli to understand that it was God speaking. In the same way there are many people waiting for us and our experience of God, for us to lead them to Him.

I invite you this week to take some quiet time to listen. Allow yourself the time and space to tune into the voice of God. Ask yourself: How am I listening to Jesus? What do I need to do to learn to recognise His voice better? Let Jesus ask you what do you want? Give space to encounter Him, so that your experience of Him is something that moves you to point Him out to others in your family, in your work, in all the people that you meet. There are so many people that are desperately in need of an encounter with Jesus and all that could mean for their lives.

Sr Ann Marie D’Souza, FMVD