2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) – 17th Jan 2021

Theme: THE LORD DOES NOT ONLY CALL SINNERS TO REPENTANCE, BUT THE LORD ALSO CALLS SINNERS TO BE HIS APOSTLES

1 Samuel 3:3-10. 19;
Psalm 39 (40): 2. 4. 7-10. R/ vv. 8. 9;
1 Corinthians 6:13-15. 17-20
John 1:35-42

1. Today is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. The readings today tell us that the Lord does not only call sinners to repentance, but the Lord also calls sinners to be his apostles! What “grace”! What “love”! What “faithfulness” on the part of God! We have therefore to respond immediately and totally!

The gospel today tells us that when John the Baptist pointed out to his two disciples that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sins of the world, his two disciples responded immediately and totally and followed Jesus and stayed with Jesus! The gospel also tells us that when Andrew told his brother Simon Peter that Jesus was the Messiah, Simon Peter immediately followed him to Jesus. And when Jesus saw Simon Peter he changed his name from Simon to Peter making him the future head of the Church and the first Pope! Again, what grace, what love, what faithfulness on the part of God! Like Andrew and Peter, we have therefore to respond immediately and totally to the call of God to be his apostles to proclaim the good news to the whole world!

2. The first reading follows the theme of the gospel. The first reading tells us about the call of Samuel to be the prophet of Israel. Samuel was only a boy. But Samuel responded immediately and totally with these words: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”. And Samuel became the last judge and the first prophet of Israel! Again, what grace, what love, and what faithfulness on the part of God! Again, like Samuel, we have to respond immediately and totally to the call of God to be his prophets!

When we were baptized, we were called to be prophet, priest and king; prophet to proclaim the word of God, priest to celebrate the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and king to build the kingdom of God and to build the community. But of the three, the first is to proclaim the word of God! The word of God gives faith, with faith we celebrate the sacraments (mystery), and when we celebrate the sacraments with faith, the Holy Spirit will act in and through us and build the community and the kingdom of God!

Again, what grace, what love, and what faithfulness on the part of God! Again, like Samuel, we have to respond immediately and totally to the call of God to be the prophet of God to proclaim the word of God to the whole world!

3. The responsorial psalm follows the theme of the first reading. The response of the responsorial psalm tells us to respond immediately and totally to the call of God to proclaim his word of salvation to the whole world. Thus the response of the responsorial psalm: “Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.” The response of the responsorial psalm echoes Samuel’s response to the call of God to be his prophet: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”!

The responsorial psalm is a thanksgiving for salvation. The responsorial psalm has four stanzas. The first stanza is a thanksgiving for salvation. The second, third, and fourth stanzas tell us to thank God for salvation, not by offering holocausts (burnt offerings) and animal sacrifices, but by proclaiming his word of salvation to the whole world! (CSB) Thus the fourth stanza of the responsorial psalm: “Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O Lord.” (Ps 39 (40): 9)

Again, we have to respond immediately and totally to the call of God to proclaim his word of salvation to the whole world!

4. The second reading tells us about sexual immorality. (NJB) The second reading tells us not to sleep with prostitutes. But more importantly, the second reading tells us to use our bodies for the glory of God! (HCSB) Again, we have to respond to the call of God immediately and totally, that is, with our body, mind and spirit, that is, with our whole person! We cannot respond to the call of God only with our mind and spirit! We have to respond to the call of God with our body, mind and spirit, with our whole person, and with our whole being!

There are priests today who believe in “optional celibacy”, that is, the freedom to choose to get married or to remain celibates. Indeed, celibacy became a law of the Church only in the 13^th century with Pope Gregory VIII. But even before celibacy became a law of the Church, there was “voluntary celibacy” in the Church. Indeed, even today we have lay people who voluntarily opt for celibacy in order to be “itinerant catechists” to go around the world to evangelize, that is, to proclaim the good news! There are also lay people who are married with children who go around the world to proclaim the good news as itinerant catechists! Whatever our call or vocation – to be priest, married catechist or single catechist – we have to respond immediately and totally with our body, mind and spirit, that is, with our whole person to God’s call to proclaim His good news to the whole world!

5. Today in the Eucharist, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we eat his body and drink his blood, and the Risen Lord will give us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help us respond to the call of God immediately and totally. Amen.