The Audacity of Listening
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
1 Samuel 3:1-14
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, the word of the LORD was uncommon and vision was infrequent. One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep. The LORD called again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” Samuel, of course, did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up, he went to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. He said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went to sleep in his place. The LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as he had the other times, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” The LORD said to Samuel: “I am about to carry out in Israel a deed that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it ring. On that day I will fulfill against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end. I announce that I will judge his house forever, because of the wickedness he knew, that his sons were blaspheming God and he did not reprove them. Therefore, I swear to the house of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever expiate its wickedness.”
Grace Prayed For
The grace that this scripture passage prompts us to pray for is the grace of docility and discernment: to have a heart that is ready to hear God’s voice, a mind that can distinguish it from the noise of the world, and the courage to respond with a generous and resolute “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
Reflection
This Scripture passage invites us to listen. Samuel’s story isn’t just about a prophet’s calling; it’s a profound metaphor for our own lives. Samuel initially mistakes God’s voice for Eli’s, a simple human call. He responds with a ready “Here I am,” but he’s looking in the wrong place. How often do we do the same? We mistake God’s quiet, persistent call for the noise of our daily lives—the demands of work, the expectations of others, the clamor of our own desires. We run to what we think is calling us, only to find nothing there, or at least not what we’re truly seeking.
This passage also highlights the need for a spiritual mentor, a guide who can help us discern God’s voice. Just as Eli, despite his own shortcomings, helps Samuel to recognize the divine call, we too need community and guidance to help us distinguish God’s voice from all the others. This is the Holy Spirit at work, often through the people He places in our lives. The Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is constantly reaching out to us. The Father calls us, the Son shows us the way, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond.
The call to Samuel is not a simple request; it’s a mission. The Lord reveals a difficult truth to him, a heavy responsibility. Jesus’s call to us is similar. It is not just to a life of comfort and personal piety, but to a mission that takes us beyond ourselves. It’s a call to leave our old ways behind and to partner with Him in the restoration of all creation. This is our Baptismal mission—to be a prophet, priest, and king, not for our own glory, but for God’s. This means taking on the difficult truths of the world, just as Samuel did, and sharing the message of hope and redemption that Jesus has entrusted to us.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Evangelizing isn’t about grand gestures or eloquent speeches; it’s about living a life so profoundly impacted by Jesus that it becomes a message in itself. We evangelize every day by:
Praying for others: Our silent prayers for the people we encounter—the cashier, the mail carrier, the person on the street—are powerful acts of partnership with Jesus. We are asking Him to restore creation one person at a time, starting with our own hearts and extending outward.
Practicing genuine compassion: When we show kindness to a stranger, forgiveness to a family member, or patience to a colleague, we are living out the Gospel. Jesus loved us by walking with us in our brokenness; we do the same for others.
Being a person of integrity: Living a life of honesty, integrity, and humility, even when it’s difficult, witnesses to the transformative power of Jesus. He has impacted our lives by giving us a new moral compass, and we reflect that in our choices.
Offering a word of encouragement: A simple, authentic word of encouragement, a prayer for someone in need, or sharing a personal story of God’s faithfulness can be a powerful witness. Jesus has loved me by restoring my hope, and I can share that hope with others.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post