Since high school, I have heard “God’s Call.” And I was certain that we have to discern the call of the Lord in our lives. We should adopt an attitude of openness and attentive listening to the voice of the Lord. And that is the role of a spiritual director, of a spiritual guide journeying us in our travels as we follow the call of the Lord. In 1994, when I asked Monsignor Socrates B. Villegas if he would be my spiritual director, he immediately said, “Yes, I will be with you in your spiritual journey.”
While we ordinarily do or say, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking,” why are we so anxious that the Lord will answer our requests? Of course, the Lord listens to us, but we must first listen and pay attention to what He is saying to us. And He speaks to us not only in Scripture but also in the events of our daily life, through others, and in our everyday experiences. He always speaks to us in the depths of our hearts and calls us to be His co-workers in creating a world that reflects His love. His call may be akin to a tug at our heartstrings, something we feel in quiet and reflective moments. In whatever way it comes, it is essential that we listen attentively to what the Lord is saying to us and follow the example of Samuel, whom we are told “grew up and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground” (1 Sam 3:9).
In our gospel today is John’s account of the call of the first disciples of Jesus — Andrew, his brother, Simon Peter, and John. John and Andrew were already disciples of John the Baptist, and the Baptist identified Jesus to them, saying, “Look, there is the Lamb of God.”
John the Baptist used the messianic title, “Lamb of God,” to show us that he recognized Jesus as the Messiah and was prepared to let his own disciples follow Jesus. It also explains why Andrew and John immediately followed Jesus. Jesus then turned around to them and asked them what they wanted or were looking for — a searching question indeed. It is a question addressed also to us, inviting us to look into our own hearts, to discover, in the words of the Spice Girls, “what you want, what you really, really want.”
Almost certainly, John and Andrew were hoping to find the Messiah, the one they hoped would fulfill the promises made to the prophets of old to liberate the people of Israel from Roman oppression.
We can presume that, like most of Jesus’ contemporaries, they did not clearly understand how the Messiah would fulfill this promise. In any case, they were prepared to allow Jesus to reveal Himself to them. When they asked Jesus where he was living, Jesus didn’t give them instructions on how to get to his house. He invited them, instead, to “come and see” for themselves.
Jesus was saying to Andrew, John, and us: “If you want to know me, you have to live with me.” He wants to have a personal relationship, a friendship, with those who wish to follow him. Andrew and John stayed with Jesus “the rest of that day.” Andrew, convinced they had found the Messiah, told his younger brother, Simon Peter, and brought him to Jesus, who looked at him intently and gave him a new name, Cephas, which means Rock.
There are four important lessons for us today. First, like Samuel, we are reminded of the importance of listening and paying attention to the voice of the Lord and treasuring His word. Second, like Eli and Andrew, we are urged to share the good news with others, lead them to the Lord, and let the Lord take over. We must not stand in the way. Third, we are challenged to clarify what we are looking for in life and what we are hoping for from the Lord. Finally, to be true disciples of Jesus, we must be prepared to spend time with Him and develop a personal relationship.