Catechism Links
CCC 462, 516, 2568, 2824: The Father’s will fulfilled in Christ
CCC 543-546: To welcome the Kingdom, welcome the Word of God
CCC 873-874: Christ the source of Christian vocation
CCC 364, 1004: The dignity of the body
CCC 1656, 2226: Helping children discover their vocation
CCC Cross Reference:
1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824
1 Cor 6:13-15 1004; 1 Cor 6:14 989; 1 Cor 6:15-20 2355; 1 Cor 6:15-16 796; 1 Cor 6:15 1265; 1 Cor 6:19-20 364, 1004; 1 Cor 6:19 1265, 1269, 1695
Jn 1:36 608
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Reading 1
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
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.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am, “ he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading II
1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the immoral person sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body.
Gospel
Jn 1:35-42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading 1 Samuel 3:3-10,19
Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord, where the ark of God was, when the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He answered, ‘Here I am.’ Then he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli said, ‘I did not call. Go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. Once again the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ He replied, ‘I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down.’ Samuel had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again the Lord called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli then understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’
Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 39(40):2,4,7-10
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20
The body is not meant for fornication: it is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. God, who raised the Lord from the dead, will by his power raise us up too.
You know, surely, that your bodies are members making up the body of Christ; do you think I can take parts of Christ’s body and join them to the body of a prostitute? Never! But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Keep away from fornication. All the other sins are committed outside the body; but to fornicate is to sin against your own body. Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.
Gospel John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher –’where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
From: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
God Calls Samuel (Continuation)
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[3b] Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. [4] Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" [5] and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. [6] And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." [7] Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. [8] And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. [9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. [10] And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said "Speak for thy servant hears."
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
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Commentary:
3:1-21. The account of Samuel"s vocation is a good example of a divine calling to perform a special mission: it shows both the attitudes that the person called should have and the demands that the divine call implies. Firstly (vv. 1-3), we are introduced to the protagonists (the Lord, Eli, Samuel) and the circumstances in which the action occurs--night-time when everyone is asleep, the temple, the ark, and the lamp of God still burning; all this shows that something exceptional is going on and God is behind it.
The second scene (vv. 4-8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and Samuel, and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an unforgettable assertion of readiness on Samuel"s part, "Here I am, for you have called me" (v. 8). "This young boy gives us an example of the highest form of obedience. True obedience does not question the meaning of what is commanded, nor does it judge, since he who decides to practise perfect obedience renounces his own judgment" (St Gregory the Great, "In Primum Regum", 2, 4, 10-11).
In the third scene (vv. 9-14) we can see the dual role of every prophet from Samuel onwards--listening carefully to God (vv. 9-10) and faithfully passing on the message received, even if his listeners find it harsh (vv. 11-14; cf. v. 18). "Greatly blessed is he who hears the [voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and who often repeats that phrase of Samuel"s: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening'" (St Bernard, "Sermones De Diversis", 23, 7).
The last scene (3:19-4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel"s future work as a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people of God; now God will make his will known through prophets who speak on God"s behalf to the people, the priests and even the king himself.
3:9-10. "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears." This prayer marked the start of Samuel’s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes the way he acted: he cultivated his relationship with God assiduously and pleaded with him on behalf of the people. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2578, suggests, he learned all this from his mother from infancy onwards: "The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God"s dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people--the shepherds and the prophets--teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how 'to stand before the Lord' (cf. 1 Sam 1:9-18) and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening' (1 Sam 3:9-10). Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: 'Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way' (1 Sam 12:23)."
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From: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
Respect for the Body (Continuation)
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[13c] The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. [14] And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
Offense to Christ and to the Holy Spirit
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[15a] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? [17] But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. [18] Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. [19] Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
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Commentary:
12-14. "All things are lawful for me": the Apostle may have used this expression himself to explain Christian freedom as opposed to the prescriptions of the Jewish law on matters of legal impurity, food, sabbath observance, etc.; and to stress the freedom which Jesus Christ won for men by dying on the cross (cf. Gal 4:31 ); this freedom means that the Christian is no longer a slave of the devil or of sin, and--by sharing through Baptism in Christ's kingship has obtained dominion over all the things of the earth. But some people were misinterpreting this and were using their freedom as an excuse for living without reference to the commandments of God. St Paul makes it clear that everything which is not opposed to God's law is permissible, and that everything which goes counter to that law means falling again into the old slavery: "It cannot happen that the soul should go its way without anyone to direct it; that is why it has been redeemed in such a way that it has Christ as its King--his yoke is easy and his burden light (cf. Mt 11:30)--and not the devil, whose rule is oppressive" (Origen, "In Rom. Comm.", V, 6).
Another sophism was to present impurity as a natural need of the body, in the same way as food is natural. St Paul rejects this argument by showing that the relationship between food and the stomach is not parallel to that of the body and fornication: the body is not even necessarily orientated to marriage, for although marriage is necessary for the spread of the human race, it is not a necessity for every individual (cf. "St Pius V Catechism", II, 8, 12). The Apostle places the body on a much higher plane: "the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body", and it is God's will to raise it up to live again in heaven (cf. Rom 8:11), where there will be no longer any need for bodily nourishment.
From this orientation of the whole person--body and soul--to God arises the eminently positive character of the virtue of purity, which tends to fill the heart with love of God, who "has not called us for uncleanness but [to live] in holiness" (1 Thess 4:7). "We belong to God completely," St. J. Escriva reminds us, "soul and body, flesh and bones, all our senses and faculties [...]. If one has the spirit of God, chastity is not a troublesome and humiliating burden, but a joyful affirmation. Will-power, dominion, self-mastery do not come from the flesh orfrom instinct. They come from the will, especially if it is united to the Will of God. In order to be chaste (and not merely continent or decent) we must subject our passions to reason, but for a noble motive, namely, the promptings of Love.
"I think of this virtue as the wings which enable us to carry God's teaching, his commandments, to every environment on this earth, without fear of becoming contaminated in the process. Wings, even in the case of those majestic beds which soar higher than the clouds, are a burden and a heavy one. But without wings, there is no way of flying. I want you to grasp this idea clearly, and to decide not to give in when you feel the sting of temptation, with its suggestion that purity is an unbearable burden. Take heart! Fly upwards, up to the sun, in pursuit of Love" ("Friends of God", 177).
15-18. St Paul here explains how gravely offensive this sin is to Jesus Christ. The Christian has become a member of Christ's body through Baptism; he is meant to live in an intimate relationship with him, sharing his very life (cf. Gal 2:20, to be "one spirit with him" (cf. Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27). Sexual immorality is as terrible as to hack oneself off from the body of Christ, to become one body with a prostitute. Hence the gravity of this sin, a sin against one's own body, which is part of the mystical body of Christ.
"Shun [sexual] immorality": this is the route one must take when tempted against chastity. Temptations against other virtues can be overcome by putting up resistance, but in this case "one does not win by putting up resistance, because the more one thinks about the thing, the more influenced one becomes; one wins by fleeing--that is, by avoiding unclean thoughts completely and by avoiding all occasions of sin" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc."). A Christian has all kinds of resources he can use to practise chastity in a very refined way: "The first is to be very vigilant about what we look at, and what we think and say and do; second, to have recourse to prayer; third, to frequent the sacraments worthily; fourth, to fly from anything which might tempt us to sin; fifth, to have great devotion to the Blessed Virgin. If we do all that, then, no matter what our enemies do, no matter how frail this virtue be, we can be quite sure of holding on to it" (St John Mary Vianney, "Sermon on the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost", II); see also the note on Mt 5:27-30.
19-20. Fornication is not only a profanation of the body of Christ but also of the temple of the Holy Spirit--for God dwells in the soul, through grace, as in a temple (cf. note on 1 Cor 3:16-17).
"Contemplative prayer will rise within you whenever you meditate on this impressive reality: something as material as my body has been chosen by the Holy Spirit as his dwelling place.... I no longer belong to myself.... My body and soul, my whole being, belong to God.... And this prayer will be rich in practical consequences, drawn from the great consequence which the Apostle himself proposes: 'glorify God in your body' (1 Cor 6:20)" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversations", 121).
"You were bought with a price": the Redemption wrought by Christ, culminating with his death on the cross, is the price paid to set mankind free from slavery to the devil, to sin and to death. "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet 1:18-19; cf. Eph 1:7). That is why "you are not your own": you now belong to God; the Christian is part of Christ's body, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. Reflection on this wonderful truth should lead the Christian always to live in accordance with his new status. "Christian, remember who you are; you have been given a share in God's very nature; do not, therefore, even think of reverting by unworthy conduct to your earlier evil ways. Remember who your head is and whose body you are part of. Do not forget that you were set free from the power of darkness and brought into the light, to the Kingdom of God. Thanks to the sacrament of Baptism, you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit: do not think of turning out so noble a guest by evil deeds; do not think of subjecting yourself to the slavery of the devil: for the price paid for you was the blood of Christ" (St Leo the Great, "First Nativity Sermon").
20. "So, glorify God in your body": this follows logically from what the Apostle has been saying. "Purity as a virtue, that is, an ability to 'control (one's) own body in holiness and honor' (cf. 1 Thess 4:4), allied to the gift of purity as the fruit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the 'temple' of the body, makes for such dignity in interpersonal relationships that "God himself is glorified in the body". Purity is the glory of the human body in God's sight. It is the glory of God in the human body" (Bl. John Paul II, "General Audience", 18 March 1981).
In commenting on this passage, St John Chrysostom recalls what our Lord says in Matthew 5:19 "that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven"--to show that a Christian's chaste life should lead those around him to God. "When they see a holy man practicing the highest virtues, they feel obliged to reflect and they blush to see the difference between their life and that of a Christian. For, when they see someone who shares their own nature being so much above them (a great deal more than heaven is above each) do they not feel obliged to believe that a divine power is at work to produce such sanctity]?" ("Hom. on 1 Cor, 18, ad loc.").
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From: John 1:35-42
The Calling of the First Disciples
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[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; [36] and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them,"What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are You staying?" [39] He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [41] He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah' (which means Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon, the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
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Commentary:
35-39. Through these words of the Baptist, these two disciples are moved by grace to approach the Lord. John's testimony is an example of the special graces God distributes to attract people to Himself. Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to meet Christ.
The two disciples already had a keen desire to see the Messiah; John's words move them to try to become friends of our Lord: it is not merely natural curiosity but Christ's personality which attracts them. They want to get to know Him, to be taught by Him and to enjoy His company. "Come and see" (John 1:39; cf. 11: 34)--a tender invitation to begin that intimate friendship they were seeking. Time and personal contact with Christ will be needed to make them more secure in their vocation. The Apostle St John, one of the protagonists in this scene, notes the exact time it took place: "it was about the tenth hour", roughly four in the afternoon.
Christian faith can never be just a matter of intellectual curiosity; it affects one's whole life: a person cannot understand it unless he really lives it; therefore, our Lord does not at this point tell them in detail about His way of life; He invites them to spend the day with Him. St Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage saying that our Lord speaks in a lofty, mystical way because what God is (in Himself or in grace) can only be understood through experience: words cannot describe it. We grow in this understanding by doing good works (they immediately accepted Christ's invitation and as a reward "they saw"), by recollection and by applying our mind to the contemplation of divine things, by desiring to taste the sweetness of God, by assiduous prayer. Our Lord invited everyone to do all this when He said, "Come and see", and the disciples discovered it all when, in obedience to our Lord, "they went" and were able to learn by personal experience, whereas they could not understand the words alone (cf. "Commentary on St John, in loc".).
40-41. The Evangelist now gives us the name of one of the two disciples involved in the previous scene; he will mention Andrew again in connection with the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:8) and the last Passover (John 12:22).
We cannot be absolutely sure who the second disciple was; but since the very earliest centuries of the Christian era he has always been taken to be the Evangelist himself. The vividness of the account, the detail of giving the exact time, and even John's tendency to remain anonymous (John 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,20) seem to confirm this.
"St John the Apostle, who pours into his narrative so much that is first-hand, tells of his first unforgettable conversations with Christ. '"Master, where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.'
"This divine and human dialogue completely changed the life of John and Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them beside the Sea of Galilee" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 108).
Those hours spent with our Lord soon produce the first results of apostolate. Andrew, unable to contain his joy, tells Simon Peter the news that he has found the Messiah, and brings him to Him. Now, as then, there is a pressing need to bring others to know the Lord.
"Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don't want to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't quite replaced by true peace until you freely said 'yes' to God, because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon Him" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1).
42. What was it like when Jesus looked at someone? From what He says here, He seems both imperious and tender. On other occasions His glance is enough to invite a person to leave everything and follow Him, as in the case of Matthew (Matthew 9:9); or He seems to be full of love, as in His meeting with the rich young man (Mark 10:21), or He seems angry or sad, because of the Pharisees' unbelief (Mark 2:5), or compassionate, towards the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13). He is able to move Zacchaeus' heart to conversion (Luke 19:5); and He Himself is moved by the faith and generosity of the poor widow who gave in alms everything she had (Mark 12:41-44). His penetrating look seems to lay the soul bare to God and provoke one to self-examination and contrition -- as happened to the adulterous woman (John 8:10) and to Peter who, after denying Christ (Luke 22: 61) wept bitterly (Mark 14:72).
"You shall be called Cephas": naming something is the same as taking possession of the thing named (cf. Genesis 17:5; 22:28; 32:28; Isaiah 62:2). Thus, for example, Adam when he was made lord of creation, gave names to creating things (Genesis 2:20). "Cephas" is the Greek transcription of an Aramaic word meaning stone, rock: therefore, St. John, writing in Greek, has to explain the meaning of the word Jesus used. Cephas was not a proper name, but our Lord put it on Peter to indicate his role as His vicar, which He will later on reveal (Matthew 16:16-18): Simon was destined to be the stone, the rock, of the Church.
The first Christians regarded this new name as so significant that they used it without translating it (cf. Galatians 2:9, 11, 14); later its translation "Peter" (Petros, Petrus) became current, pushing the Apostle's old name--Simon—into the background. "Son of John": ancient manuscripts include variants, such as "son of Jona".
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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