Speak, Lord, For Your Servant Is Listening

January 18, 2009

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.

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 3:9-10

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see." John 1:38-39

Piety
(Psalm 40:2-10)

I waited, waited for the LORD; who bent down and heard my cry, drew me out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud of the swamp, set my feet upon rock, steadied my steps, and put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe and they shall trust in the LORD. Happy those whose trust is the LORD, who turn not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood.
How numerous, O LORD, my God, you have made your wondrous deeds! And in your plans for us there is none to equal you. Should I wish to declare or tell them, too many are they to recount.
Sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require; so I said, "Here I am; your commands for me are written in the scroll. To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!" I announced your deed to a great assembly; I did not restrain my lips; you, LORD, are my witness.

Study

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

What incredible words in this time of such noise we live in where everyone seems to be speaking at once. How do we get quiet enough to hear what the Lord is saying in our lives? I tell people not to worry about falling asleep when they are praying because that is a good sign that one is present to the Lord without trying to manipulate an agenda. I even tell people that there is no such a thing as distractions in a prayer time because if work, people or events sneak into their prayer, there is a good chance that it is the Lord speaking to us. People are blessed by being in our prayer.

So how is it possible to come to prayer and to listen to the Lord?

Preparation for prayer is where we do all our work. Deciding where, when and how to pray is not something that should be taken for granted. The ritual of prayer is the beauty of having found in our lives ways of doing things with the Lord that work. We can imitate the rituals of others, but it is always better to have our own rituals of prayer. The Lord is the best teacher and what works is where good rituals come from.

We know we are open to the gift of prayer when we are willing to try a lot of different ways of praying. To make our choice of what works for us is to have freedom in our prayer. God gives us his Son and his example can really touch our hearts because he is the deepest meaning of our lives. The indwelling of the Spirit gives us the divine connection in our prayer. Freedom is the absolute gift of God to us. He will not force us to pray. He gives us the chance to go to him freely. Our hearts tell us when we are praying as we ought. Our prayer allows us to grow up with the Lord as Samuel did and the words of the Lord will be seen in the good effects of his words on our lives.

Action

The good lives that we live overflow on our prayer. Because the Word has been made flesh, our bodies belong to the Lord and the Lord raises us up by his power that flows over our lives by our prayer. Our bodies are meant to be temples of the Holy Spirit. They have been purchased at the price of Christ dying for us. We can pray with our bodies. Fasting for the Hungry of the World makes a prayer out of our hunger. We can walk with Mary to see her cousin Elizabeth. Each step we take with her makes a prayer out of our walking. Lifting my hands to the Lord makes a prayer out of reaching for him. We are called to be Contemplatives in Action and our lives become our prayer. Our Gospel talks about Christ inviting two of the apostles to come and see where he lived. Living with Christ makes prayer out of all our contacts with each other. Watching Christ in our Meditations brings us to Contemplation. When the father calls Christ his beloved son, the hidden life grace of the thirty years makes out of our living with family and friends the beauty of prayer.

What we do for each other in the ordinary of life makes of our lives Contemplatives in Action. The good we do in our lives, makes our lives into a real prayer.