Here I Am!

The voice of the Lord continuously echoes in several forms and means, but those who listen to His voice are few. "Here I am, " is the response from a young man Samuel, who initially did not recognize the voice of the Lord. However, rather than ignore and fall asleep, Samuel was in tune to listen to the voice of God. His running toward Eli several times, gives us the indication of his willingness to respond to the call, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

Listening is a very important medium to acquire knowledge in order to grow in wisdom; no science has to verify this. The inner voice of conscience is rarely heard by us, therefore listening with concentration and dedication is a gift of God. Some go to the shore to hear the ocean; others go into the woods to listen to the rhythm of nature. Every voice is calling us to live in peace and harmony, and praise God for His majesty.

Two disciples heard John the Baptist calling out, "Look, there is the Lamb of God." Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Like Samuel, these disciples of John were in tune to listen to the voice of God calling out to them. Blessed is the servant who is vigilant to respond. "Here I am! Speak, Lord your servant is listening." The voice of John the Baptist confirmed the faith of his disciples in Jesus, "We have found the Messiah."

We live in a world buzzing with excitement, noise and chaos. Everyone is shouting from the top of his voice to be heard, but no one is listening. What a tragedy! For the modern world, listening is not a value, but considered as stooping low, which is abhorred by many. The claim to speak and not to listen has infected our society and especially our children, which is abysmal and deplorable. The falling out of the faithful from the congregation is a clear indication of a greater catastrophe to come our way.

"Here I am! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." A servant model is set by Samuel, which we must emulate in our lives in order to grow in holiness and grace. Disciple means one who listens! We are the disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us listen to Him with concentration and dedication.
(Fr. Peter fernandes, sfx.)