One of my new favorite commercials involves a young woman talking to her friend, pouring out her concerns about her relationship with her boyfriend. Her friend, who sits across the table from her, is engrossed with her cell phone and whatever’s on the screen. She’s barely listening and gives the occasional uh-huh type of reply. That’s when the narrator calls for Tedy Bridgewater, a professional athlete, to take the friend’s place.
Tedy immediately sits down and locks in, maintaining eye contact and using the type of affirmation that shows he’s really listening and cares.
Today’s first reading reminded me of this commercial because God speaks to us every day. However, at times, I’m afraid we can be like the young woman’s friend, distracted by our phones and other distractions or habits.
This year, I really noticed the lead-up to God speaking to Samuel. The part where we learn about the context of Samuel and Eli’s relationship with each other and God.
First, we learn that young Samuel is ministering to the Lord (at an apprentice level) under Eli. And that revelation of the Lord and visions were infrequent during this time.
We also learn that Eli is elderly, “his eyes had grown weak and he couldn’t see…” And here’s a great verse for any of us of a certain age…Yet “The lamp of God was not yet extinguished.”
Samuel is sleeping in the Temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was…. In other words, he was close to God when God called him, but as we know, he thought it was Eli, which makes sense because, no doubt, Eli would have needed to call out to Samuel many times a day for help.
And for the first two occasions, neither the young man nor the elder understands what’s going on. But God persists, and on the third time, Eli sees with the eyes of faith and tells Samuel to go back to sleep, and if you’re called again, say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
And, as we’ve heard, the next time--God calls Samuel by name, and this time with the help of Eli, Samuel responds, “Speak for your servant is listening.”
Samuel was living a good life, serving Eli a man of God, learning about God and yet, he needed the elderly Eli, whose physical sight was gone, yet the lamp of God was not yet extinguished in him…a great reminder for young and old about how God is with us and can use us at any age to help others grow closer to Him in our families and circle of friends.
As we hear this reading from God along with today’s Gospel, there are some natural questions for us to reflect on today.
First, am I a good listener with God and with my family, friends, coworkers, or classmates?
Second, do I recognize the value that the elders in our families and community possess as believers in God…and their own inherent dignity as children of God?
Third, how has God spoken to you in the past…even earlier today?
And finally, how can I help my family members hear God better?
Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel that doing the work of God requires that we also spend time in prayer. As we heard, Jesus rose early in the morning and went to a deserted place to pray…to listen and speak with God the Father.
My brothers and sisters, if we want to be good listeners we need to make time to pray and in that sacred time be silent and listen, so we recognize when God is calling us to do or not do something…then we can move forward in our lives with confidence that we are on the right track and can help others to do the same.
And just remember, if you stay close to God and hear him call, just say, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening…and He will lead you, just as He did Samuel and all the saints.