Helping others come and see their vocation

Homily for 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B 2015

1 Samuel 3:3-10,19 •John 1:35-42

Introduction

I would like to compare the theme of today’s readings, Christian vocation, to the process of becoming an NFL player.

·        First, just as the player has to sign the contract, the Christian has to respond “Yes” when God calls.

·        Then just as the player has to undergo training, the Christian too needs to prepare himself or herself for their vocation.

·        Finally after training, both then begin to actually do the work, the player playing football, the Christian living out their vocation.

Scripture and Theology

Today’s readings teach us something about these three steps: responding to, training for and living out the Christian vocation.

In today’s first reading, two times Samuel hears the call from God, but does not know it is God; he thinks it is his teacher Eli calling.  After conferring with Eli he understands that it is God calling and the third time God calls him, Samuel responds: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Just like Eli helps Samuel to discover his call, in the gospel John the Baptist nudges Andrew and his fellow disciple towards Jesus, by saying “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  And their response is to go and ask Jesus “where are you staying?”  This is their way of saying, “Yes, we want to become your disciples.”  And later Andrew tells his brother Simon: “We have found the Messiah.”  They both go to Jesus to become his disciples; and as they say, the rest is history.

The positive response of all three, Samuel, Andrew and Simon is then followed by the second stage, a period of training.  When Andrew asks: “Teacher, “where are you staying?” Jesus responds “Come and See.”  If Andrew wants to take up the invitation to become a disciple, he must come and share the life of Jesus. 

And indeed for three years, Andrew and his fellow disciples walked the hills and valleys of Galilee and Judea with Jesus.  They ate what he ate, slept where he slept and prayed when he prayed.  They heard him teach God’s Word, saw him heal people, and observed him dine with sinners and tax-collectors. For the Twelve Apostles, coming and seeing was their training for the double vocations of disciple and apostle that they will receive from the Lord.

The training of Samuel is a little different.  While the apostles are trained as a group by Jesus, Samuel is trained one-on-one with his mentor Eli.  It is like the old days when people learnt trades by being an apprentice.  To become a carpenter, you lived and worked with one; to become a painter, you lived and worked with out.  In the case of Samuel, his vocation is to be a prophet.  And so Samuel hangs around the Temple with Eli the priest; he lives with Eli and learns from him how to be a prophet, how to be a mouthpiece for God.

For all the three people called in today’s gospel, after their training, they are now ready to live out their vocations.

·        Samuel will grow into a prophet of God, being the one who picks the shepherd boy David to become King of Israel.

·        Andrew and Simon both become disciples and apostles for the Lord.  In fact Simon, who is now called Peter, will become the leader of apostles.

Christian Life

The Lord continues to call people today.  There is the basic all to be disciples, to be Christians.  And within this wider call, each of us is called to a specific vocation, such as the priesthood, the religious life, marriage and for some the single life.  The same three stages apply to us too, when we respond to, training for and live out our Christian vocations.

But for today’s homily, I want to focus we do in helping others take up their vocations.  Many young men who go to the seminary to study for the priesthood often say that it is because a teacher, a family member, a priest or even a fellow parishioner told them: “You look like one who would make a darn good priest.”  And so we should ask ourselves: Do we like Eli, John the Baptist and Andrew help others discover their call from God, by nudging them in the right direction?

But equally important is the help we give others so that they can prepare for their vocation, just like Eli trained Samuel and Jesus the apostles.  Let me share a story of how one Ugandan man prepared himself to become a Christian.

In the 19^th century both Christianity and Islam were brought to Uganda, one by European colonizers, the other by Arab traders.  But although their religions seemed attractive, the people who brought them were not very nice people.  The European colonists subjected the natives, the Arab traders traded in slaves.

And so this one native man decided to work as a housekeeper for a European Christian family.  But after three years of loyal and diligent service, he suddenly put in his two weeks notice.  "Why are you leaving me," his surprised Christian employer asked him?  "You have been a good worker, I have paid you a decent salary and we have had a good relationship."

The Ugandan worker replied, "You are right that I have no reason to complain or leave you.  But I must move on.  You see, when you Christians and the Muslims came to our country, I didn't know which religion to choose.  So I decided to come and work for you for three years, to see and learn about your faith.  Next month I am going to start working for a Muslim family to see how they live and to learn about their faith. After three years, I will decide which religion to follow."

This man came to see, so that he could become a Christian.  Many other people come to us and our families to see and discover if they should follow our example.  That is why at a conference about vocations one anxious father asked the speaker: “What is the best way for me to inspire vocation in my children?”  The priest who was giving the talk told him: “start by loving and caring for your wife.”  When the children see the love between mom and dad, they will learn too how to be good husbands and wives, how to be good priests and religious.

I have had the privilege of getting a fairly good education in various seminaries and schools of theology.  But I must say that the things that really matter for my Christian and priestly vocation, I learnt from my mother at home and perhaps by early teachers in school.

·        It is in the “come and see” school of mom and dad I learnt my first prayers, my first Bible stories, and most important of all, I learnt fell in love with Jesus.

·        It is in the “come and see” school of mom and dad that I learnt the simple courtesies of “thank you” and “please” and learnt generally how to be a decent human being and so a worthy instrument of God.

Like his potential disciples to “Come and see” where he lived, we also tell our children and every potential candidate for the faith, to “come and see” where and how we live out our faith.

Conclusion

May all those who come to us leave having seen Jesus in us.  May they leave strengthened and trained well enough to live their vocation fully.  May our families and our personal example be the first seminary, the first novitiate, the first pre-Cana for the next generation of priests, religious and holy husbands and wives, and indeed all Christians.