The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
I have always had a special affection for the Gospel we read this week. St. Andrew is my namesake, St. John the Baptist is my confirmation saint, and this passage highlights them both! It also highlights an important aspect about their nature: both men draw others to the Lord and compel them to follow Him.
In fact, all the readings today deal with being drawn to the Lord, and how to respond well to the call to follow Him. That only happens, however, once one becomes familiar with God.
In the first reading, we see Samuel being called by the Lord for the first time. The first thing that is mentioned is that Samuel is sleeping in the temple of the Lord, in the same building as the ark of the covenant. That means that he is quite literally close to God when he hears the call.
The passage also mentions that Samuel was not familiar with the Lord at that time. Samuel couldn't recognize God calling him and turned to someone else; in this case, Eli. How true is this for us as well! When we fail to spend time with the Lord, we fail to recognize His call in our daily lives and turn to something or someone else. However, if we make the effort to grow familiar with the Lord through study and simply spending time with Him, we more readily recognize His voice and His presence.
Once we grow close and familiar with the Lord and His calling, how are we to respond? Sts. Andrew and John the Baptist both respond by pointing others to the Lord. It should be noted that St. Andrew stays with Jesus that day, grows familiar with Him, and, only after that, goes and calls on his brother Simon to meet Jesus as well.
As we reflect on these readings and think about how we will prepare ourselves between extraordinary seasons, consider taking some more time to grow familiar with God and bring others to Him. Take some time to go to adoration and sit in the physical presence of the Lord, and listen to Him.
Andrew Montpetit is a Motion Graphic Designer / Animator in West Michigan. He greatly enjoys good films and deep, substantive conversations about beauty and its pursuit. You can find his work on his website.