Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – January 14, 2024.
Readings: 1 Sam. 3:3-10,19; Ps 39:2,4,7-10; 1 Cor. 6:13-15,17-20; Gospel John 1:35-42.
Theme: The Call to Holiness!
Sunday Synopsis
The first reading recounts the role of Eli in the call of Samuel. The second reading which urges us to embrace holiness stresses that “the body is not meant for fornication” but “for the Lord.” The gospel which reveals Jesus as the Lamb of God details about the call of the apostles. Like Jesus the Lamb of God who built his Church on the Apostles – “Cephas, meaning Rock,” parents and leaders are charged to act emulate Eli and the first apostles by living exemplary lives, bringing others to Christ, and reminding the world of the need for holiness.
Introduction
Dearly beloved in Christ, with the end of Christmastide by the celebration of the baptism of the Lord, we are back to the ordinary season of the year. Today, we are presented with the importance of the call to holiness. Our liturgy is not just an expose about the prophetic enterprise but a reminder that we need models of faith to inspire us towards holiness and sainthood. It also urges one and all to fulfil their prophetic mandate as desired by God.
Background and Summary of the Readings
The first reading (1 Sam. 3:3-10,19) recounts the role of Eli in the call of Samuel. It tells how Hannah, Elkanah’s wife whose child she named Samuel – a name which means “God has heard,” took her child to Shiloh where he remained in the service of God under the guidance of Eli. After Eli assisted him to answer the call of God, the boy “grew and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground.”
The second reading (1 Cor. 6:13-15,17-20) which urges us to embrace holiness stresses that “the body is not meant for fornication” but “for the Lord.” The text reminds us that we have been bought and paid at a price – hence the mandate to live the life of service by offering our lives as a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord (Cf. Rom. 12:1).
The gospel (John 1:35-42) which reveals Jesus as the Lamb of God details about the call of the apostles. Upon seeing Jesus, John says to two of his disciples, “Look, there is the Lamb of God.” Because of this verbal witness, the two disciples not only followed Jesus to his abode, but they stayed with him. Interestingly, Andrew who followed Jesus because of the testimony of his Master, John told his brother, Simon that they had found the Messiah. He took Simon to Jesus who looked at him and said: “You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas, meaning Christ.”
Eucharistic Theology of Jesus as LAMB of God
1. “L” – Life: In his discuss on the Holy Eucharist, Jesus says: “…the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Here Jesus reveals himself as “the Life of world.”
2. “A” – Altar: Jesus is the Altar and the lamb of sacrifice who offers himself to the father for our redemption. To be sure, one of the Prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayer during the Easter season describes Christ as the “sacerdos, altare et agnus – priest, altar, and lamb” of sacrifice. As such, in a tradition that dates back to St. Cyril of Alexandria and Origen, the priest or deacon kisses and in the case of the former, incenses the altar because it is a sign of Christ.
3. “M” – Messiah: St. John insists that the Messiah was revealed to take away sins (Cf. 1 John 3:5). Also, by describing Jesus as “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” John was pointing to him as the Messiah and one who would fulfil the law and the prophets.
4. “B” – Bread: Jesus is “the living bread that [has] came down from heaven” (John 6:51). He was born in Bethlehem, a name which means “house of bread” and eventually offers himself as the bread which has come down from heaven.
Fascinating Story of the Lamb
The story is told about a tourist who visited a Church in Norway and was surprised to see the carved figure of a lamb near the top of the Church’s tower. When he inquired about the figure, he was told that a workman fell from a high scaffold during the construction of the Church. As such, when his co-workers rushed down, they were shocked to find him still alive though with slight injury.
The question is, “how did he survive?” Well, the story has it that a flock of sheep was passing beneath the tower at the time and the workman landed on a lamb. As a result, the lamb broke his fall and was crushed to death but the man survived. To remember that miraculous escape, someone carved a lamb on the tower at the exact height from which the workman fell. In like manner, Jesus took our faults upon himself through his love and death on the cross. He literally took our place by taking upon himself our sins to relieve and save us (Andrew, 2016).
Pastoral Lessons
1. Mentor others: In a world where many people depend on others to give them a sense of direction in life, our liturgy reminds all pastors of souls to be role models in the mould of Eli who made Samuel recognise the voice of God by giving young people a sense of direction in life and helping them to answer God’s call.
2. Listen to the Church: In a world where the priestly, religious, and married life are becoming less attractive, the youth are charged to listen to the Church and cooperate with their parents/guardians and pastors of souls in holy obedience and answering the call of God to the priestly, religious, and married life.
3. Obey God’s Word: Rather than sitting and complaining about what is happening in our country, the youth must learn from Samuel who was active in the service of God by learning how to grow in the Lord through ensuring that God’s word does not fall to the ground.
4. Emulate the Lamb: Just as John showed Jesus to Andrew as “the Lamb of God,” we are challenged to make sacrifices for others while being weary of a prosperity gospel which celebrates Christmas and shuns the crucifixion.
5. Take to Co-responsibility: The call of Andrew and Simon his brother speaks to the heart of synergy in the call to holiness which also mandates us as children, youth, and the elderly to network as partners in the call to discipleship.
Summary Lines
1. The first reading recounts the role of Eli in the call of Samuel.
2. The second reading which urges us to embrace holiness stresses that “the body is not meant for fornication” but “for the Lord.”
3. [We have] the mandate to live the life of service by offering our lives as a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord.
4. The gospel which reveals Jesus as the Lamb of God details about the call of the apostles.
5. “You are to be called Cephas, meaning Rock ”
Conclusion
In conclusion, we are challenged to shun the mentality that the call to holiness is only for priests and religious. Like Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah often says, the trouble with Nigeria is that many of us want others to be holy on our behalf. In the call of Samuel, Andrew, and Simon, we are once again reminded that by the virtue of our baptism, we all share in the common priesthood of Christ. This means that heaven is for everyone. Like Jesus the Lamb of God who built his Church on the Apostles – “Cephas, meaning Rock,” parents and leaders are charged to act emulate Eli and the first apostles by living exemplary lives, bringing others to Christ, and reminding the world of the need for holiness. Have a great week!
