By Colleen O’Sullivan
The Lord called
Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling
the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to
sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is
listening.’” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the Lord came and revealed
his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is
listening.” (1 Samuel 3:8-10)
Rising very
early before dawn, (Jesus) left and went off to a deserted place, where he
prayed.
(Mark 1:35)
Piety
I have
waited, waited for the Lord,
And he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
(Psalm
40:2)
Study
In
today’s Gospel reading, as in so many other places in the Gospels, Jesus
withdraws from the crowds and his disciples to be alone in prayer. He shows us the way to a deeper relationship
with God. Of course we are always in
God’s presence, but when we pray, we consciously participate in a relationship
with God.
We
Catholics are good at saying prayers, but, for me, praying seems almost more
about listening than speaking. We often
face impediments to listening for the voice of God. For one thing, we live in a culture that
prizes “doing.” In order to be good
listeners, however, we need to carve out quiet space for being rather than
doing. That’s difficult to do in a
society that rewards busyness. It’s far
easier for me to tick off items on a to-do list than to set aside time for
prayer.
We’re
also not always good listeners.
Sometimes we talk so much in prayer (and in our conversations with one
another), that God would be hard-pressed to get a word in edgewise. Maybe we think prayer is just about telling
our story to God or turning in our requests for help. Or perhaps we’re afraid of what we might hear
if we stopped talking and listened.
Our
relationship with God is not unlike our relationships with one another. God
wants to be our friend and, as we all know, friendships require commitment and
presence or they dwindle away to nothing.
A deep relationship can never be one-sided. God wants to hear what we think and feel, but
God also hopes we will listen as well.
Action
Listening is a skill that can be learned, even in
prayer. In our first reading today, Samuel
was quite young and had no experience in hearing God’s voice. Fortunately, he was with Eli, who was able to
guide the youth in listening and responding.
If you would like guidance in listening or in any
other aspect of your prayer life, consider seeking out a spiritual
director. Your pastor can probably
recommend someone. There is also a list
on the Arlington Diocese Cursillo website at http://www.arlingtoncursillo.org/thrive/thrive-sub-page-2/.
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