In today’s first reading, we continue the story of Samuel. We already heard about the ordeal of Hannah, who had to contend with the mockery of Peninnah, the two wives of Elkanah. Hannah was barren, whereas Peninnah had a number of children, and she would mock Hannah over this on a yearly basis, which would throw Hannah into a type of depression. Elkanah would always try to reassure her, and through her faith and trust in God, Hannah was blessed with a child whom she promised to offer to the Lord and to His service. God heard her cry and made of her firstborn son the first prophet in all of Israel (cf. 1 Sam 1).
In today’s reading, we see how this transpired, how God called Samuel. We are told that Eli, one of the priests who was serving and ministering close to the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, was asleep in the vicinity, but Samuel was lying asleep very close to the Ark of the Covenant, which was the place of the presence of God, the reference point for all of Israel, the place where God Himself said He would govern over His people and be with them (cf. Ex 25:22). From the Ark of the Covenant, Samuel hears a voice, but he thinks it is Eli; he does not realize that it is God.
We are told that “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.’ And Eli said, ‘I did not call you. Go back to sleep’” (1 Sam 3:3–5).
The first striking thing we notice is that the Lord calls Samuel from the Tabernacle. Does that not sound familiar to us as Catholics? We praise, adore, and love the Lord our God present in all the tabernacles of the world. What is present in every tabernacle in every Catholic church throughout the world? Jesus, the Second Person of the Divine Trinity, and by virtue of His divine personhood, the Father and the Holy Spirit are inseparably united to Him, for the Trinity is indivisible, one and holy (cf. Jn 10:30).
God is in the Tabernacle. God who can heal us, God who wants to speak to us. This episode with Samuel is a prefiguring of the beautiful fulfilment and perfection we find in Our Lord’s tangible presence now within the Tabernacle. In the Ark of the Covenant, God was present spiritually, but in our tabernacles He is present through a miracle that continues in time until the Sacred Host is consumed: the bread that has become, through consecration, the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ—His soul and His divinity—Jesus in His entirety (cf. Mt 26:26–28).
Eli then helps Samuel to discern that this is the voice of the Lord. It is interesting how Eli, who has more experience in the spiritual life, becomes a mentor for Samuel. My brothers and sisters, we all need this kind of spiritual accompaniment in our lives. I would always urge each of us to seek a spiritual director. Bishop Fulton Sheen once said that when seeking advice for the spiritual life, we should first turn to two kinds of people: those who have suffered and those who are holy.
Find that holy priest or holy religious, and if they are graciously available, allow them to accompany you. It will help you to discern the voice of the Lord in your life. The Lord wishes to speak to us often, but because He speaks in ways different from what we are accustomed to, His voice can be difficult to discern. He can speak through Scripture (cf. Heb 4:12), through nature (cf. Ps 19:1), through a dream (cf. Mt 1:20), through a person we meet, or even through an unexpected event. Often, we need someone else to help us recognize His voice.
In today’s Gospel, Our Lord has just chosen the four apostles—Simon, who would later be called Peter, his brother Andrew, and James and John. After preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, He goes to the house of Simon Peter, where He heals Peter’s mother-in-law (cf. Mk 1:29–31). We are then told that “rising very early before dawn, He left and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed” (Mk 1:35).
Look at how the Lord begins His day. How do we begin ours? Jesus begins with recourse to the Father. When we wake in the morning, let us spend time immediately with God, for He is the source of all that we do, all our energy, and all that is good in our lives (cf. Jn 15:5).
When the disciples find Him, they say, “Everyone is looking for you.” But He replies, “Let us go on to the nearby villages, that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come” (Mk 1:37–38). The Lord did not come only to die for us; He also came to teach us and to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has drawn near (cf. Mk 1:15).
May the Lord keep you safe and blessed within His Kingdom, for you are already a citizen of heaven through His Church (cf. Phil 3:20). May He bless you in your pursuit of goodness and holiness, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, and may Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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