This week's readings Week of Jan. 19 - 25 Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003 Reading I: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19 Reading II: 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20 Gospel: Jn 1:35-42 Monday, Jan. 20, 2003 Reading I: Heb 5:1-10 Gospel: Mk 2:18-22 Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2003 Reading I: Heb 6:10-20 Gospel: Mk 2:23-28 Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 Reading I: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17 Gospel: Mk 3:1-6 Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003 Reading I: Heb 7:25-8:6 Gospel: Mk 3:7-12 Friday, Jan. 24, 2003 Reading I: Heb 8:6-13 Gospel: Mk 3:13-19 Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003 Reading I: Acts 22:3-16 Gospel: Mk 16:15-18 Pope's Prayer Intentions January General Intention You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world: That Christian communities may fully embrace the Lord's invitation to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. January Mission Intention The Christian communities of China: That China's Christian communities may strengthen their ties and cooperate more effectively in spreading the Good News.

Come and see:
The Lord is calling

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

This week and next, the Old Testament and Gospel readings are about people answering their call from God.

This week Samuel hears the call of the Lord coming to him in the Temple while he is asleep, and in the Gospel two disciples of John answer Jesus' call of "Come and see." Next week Jonah goes to Nineveh and in the Gospel Simon and Andrew, James, and John leave their fishing life to follow Jesus.

"Our own lives also include people who have helped us to know the Lord, to become familiar with his ways, and to follow him."

Some interesting characteristics accompany these calls. Samuel hears the call but does not understand it at first, and needs the help of someone wiser than he to recognize it. The disciples of John hear the call but want to ask questions first, to see what Jesus is about and whether they should go with him.

Jonah heard the call and fled from it with disastrous results, but later he repents and accepts the Lord's call to go to Nineveh and to preach there. Simon and Andrew, James and John abandon their boats immediately upon hearing Jesus say, "Come after me."

Readings for Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jan. 19, 2003) 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20 John 1:35-42

These different ways of responding to the call of Jesus characterize our life as we try to understand and live our vocations.

In the Temple, the young Samuel hears the voice of the Lord, but "at that time (was) not familiar with the Lord." He repeatedly asks Eli, who finally realizes it is the Lord who is calling Samuel, and Eli tells Samuel what to say: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

Of the two disciples who followed Jesus after being with John, one is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. When he goes with Jesus to "come and see," he gets his brother Simon and brings him along. Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gives him a new name, Peter.

In the case of Samuel in the Old Testament and Andrew and Simon-Peter in the Gospel, we have the situation of one person helping another to know the Lord. In Samuel's case, it is Eli the priest who knows the Lord's ways and acquaints Samuel with them.

In the case of Andrew and Simon-Peter, first John calls Andrew's attention to Jesus, and then Andrew brings Simon with him.

Our own lives also include people who have helped us to know the Lord, to become familiar with his ways, and to follow him. Our parents brought us to be baptized, and brought us to church when we were little. Our priests and teachers helped to instill the values of our Catholic faith in us, supporting our parents and helping us to grow in the Lord's ways.

Sometimes we may have sought out the Lord and the help of someone who knew him on our own initiative, as did Samuel. At other times another person may have pushed or pulled us toward God, like John or Andrew.

In any case, our response as disciples of Jesus is one of answering the call, wherever and whenever it comes. We can hear the Lord calling with our own ears, or respond to the call mediated to us by others.

In the context of the community we learn what it means to know the Lord God, and how we might answer the call we are discerning in our lives. Always, it is together as people of faith that we come to know the Lord and follow where he leads.

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.