Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily
Hopefully, everyone knows what selective hearing is. Selective hearing is when someone hears only what he or she wants to hear. The person ignores the rest. Every person is capable of doing this, and most likely, most of us have done it from time to time. Spouses can do it to each other. Children can do it to their parents. Parents can do it to their children. And on and on go the examples.
One of my sisters had a dog that had selective hearing. One summer day, I was visiting them. We sat on their back deck relaxing in the warm weather. Their dog was lying on the deck too. My sister gave a command to the dog, but he just continued to lay there. My sister gave another command without a louder voice. The dog just laid there as if he didn’t hear her. So, I whispered to my sister, “Let me try to get his attention.” So, I very quietly said, “Squirrel.” The dog immediately jumped up and ran barking into the back yard looking for the squirrel. All of us just laughed at what the dog had done. Even some animals have selective hearing.
Our readings for this Sunday may easily point towards selective hearing. We have several examples of people who heard another’s voice and reacted to it. Fortunately, they reacted in a positive way. The words did not fall on deaf ears. Or for those with selective hearing that choose not to react. In our first reading, Samuel hears what he thinks is the voice of Eli calling him (1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19). However, it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. This is an interesting story because there is a play of words here. The name “Samuel” in Hebrew means “he who hears God.” The name “Eli” in Hebrew means “my God.” Samuel, whose name means he who hears God, did hear God calling him. Three times Samuel went to Eli, whose name means my God. So, the play on words is that Samuel was responding to “my God” or Eli, but it wasn’t the right person. Once Eli realized what was going on, he told Samuel that the next time he was called he should respond, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” The selective hearing of Samuel had to be finetuned so that he would respond to the correct person. In this case, it wasn’t Eli, my God; it was the true God who was calling Samuel.
This story is important because it shows that we can sometimes misinterpret what we hear. We may get things wrong, and we need someone else to point us in the right direction. Once Eli realized what was happening, he pointed Samuel in the right direction. This takes discernment and prayer. Either God Himself, or the Holy Spirit speaking through someone else, will guide us in the correct direction. We need to listen attentively. As we also heard in the first reading, “Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.” This means that Samuel was attentive to God’s word, and because of this, God’s word was effective in guiding Samuel throughout his entire life. God’s words were not ignored by Samuel.
In our Gospel reading, we heard another example of some people who listened attentively (Jn 1:35-42). John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Two disciples of John heard what he said and followed Jesus. They would have understood what John meant by calling Jesus the Lamb of God. This would have referred to the Passover lamb that the Jews sacrificed during the Exodus from Egypt. By putting the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes, the Israelites were saved from the angel of death. This led to their freedom from slavery. When John said that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the disciples would have realized that Jesus was the one who would save people from their sins and lead them to freedom. John the Baptist was the person who guided the disciples in the right direction. They would no longer be disciples of John; they would now be disciples of Jesus.
By listening attentively, the disciples would follow the One who would save them. John the Baptist couldn’t do this. John could only point the way, but John was not the way. As the disciples were following Jesus, He turned and asked them, “What are you looking for?” Jesus didn’t say, “Why are you following me?” There was a deeper meaning in what Jesus asked them. “What are you looking for?” In other words, what is in your heart that is causing you to follow me? What meaning in life are you looking for? Or what purpose in your life are you longing for? The disciples’ response is also interesting. “Where are you staying?” We might think that they would have said something like, “Where are you going?” “What is your destination?” But they said, “Where are you staying?” This implies that they are seeking more than just a conversation with Jesus. They are seeking a deeper relationship with Him. They could have exchanged pleasantries and then gone their separate ways. Asking where Jesus was staying showed that in their hearts they wanted to get to know Him. They wanted a relationship that was more than just being acquaintances. Once the disciples revealed what was in their hearts, Jesus invited them to join Him. Jesus desired that relationship too.
Having selective hearing and listening attentively led to an encounter with the Lord. It led to a profound change in the lives of those disciples. God was speaking to their hearts, and they listened. They didn’t ignore the call. Not only did they listen, but they also reacted in a positive way. They realized that it was important, and they acted on it. It made all the difference in their lives, a profound difference, a life-changing difference.
God knows each one of us by name and He calls us. Do we hear His voice calling us? Do we have selective hearing and choose not to respond? What will it take us to respond to the call of God? Even though Samuel was young, he heard and was attentive to the voice of the Lord. Because of this, God’s word was effective in his life. It made a positive difference for Samuel.
Jesus asks each one of us, “What are you looking for?” What is your heart’s desire? Are we seeking the Lord and asking Him, “Where are you staying?” Meaning: I want to know you better. I want a better relationship with you, Jesus. If we seek Jesus out with all our hearts, then we should be attentive to His voice. We can be like Samuel and respond, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” And with Jesus by our side, He will show us the way.
Fr. Tim Ilgen
