Productive call and There's probably no God.

Reading 11 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
Responsorial PsalmPs 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
GospelJn 1:35-42





I know in the Philippines we are celebrating the Feast of Sto Nino. I cannot access its reading so I focus on the readings of the 2nd Ordinary Sunday.





I can never forget the events that lead to how I entered Knights of the Altar before. Becoming a “sacristan” (knights of the altar) has never crossed my mind until my friends invited me. I was already in my third year high school when my friends asked me to accompany them to the Church. Since we were free at that time, I just went with them. Then they told me to seat and wait on one of the pews for a while. The Mass was about to start but they have not returned yet. Then to my surprise I saw them coming out of the sacristy with the priest. I only learned then that they were members of the Knights of the Altar of our Parish. I was happy to see them serving the priest. These two friends of mine, Michael and Allan, were not the type of guys that one would expect to be there knowing their personality. I could not believe that they were there at the altar serving the priest. After the Mass, I teased them. They just laughed and asked me to join them in their meeting. There and there they told me to enter. I learned that they were encouraged to recruit someone. To appease them and knowing that they were already full time members, I said ok. In short, after some weeks of undergoing the initiation, I became one of the Knights of the Altar and even officer at some point. The funny thing about this experience was that these two friends of mine also asked me to attend a “search-in” (a vocation seminar intended for those who may want to enter religious life). I laughed at them again. It was no secret that they wanted to become priests. For the sake of our friendship, I attended the search-in with them. Fortunately, we all passed the preliminary test. However, for some reasons only known to them, they were not able to enter the seminary. Ironically, I was the one who entered and ended up a priest. What a mystery!


First point, mysterious call. I was not inspired by the lives of my friends, am not saying they were bad either, but their invitation, opened the door for me to know the Lord more. I am not saying we should not be holy. I am saying that even if we find ourselves unworthy, it should not inhibit us to share Jesus to others. Look at Paul the Apostle and Peter, even the life our founder St. Paul of the Cross www.passionists.com/founder.html. They were persons who never regarded themselves as holier than others, but their lives were never short of sharing the love of Jesus to the world. Bible Study - Eli's Fall, reading this, we will know that even Eli, in our first reading has judged poorly that led to his fall. Yet it was through him that Samuel responded right to the call of the Lord.

Second point, familiar call. Call is familiar because there are those who can discern if it is of God or not. It is a reality that there are some who may not be familiar yet with the ways of God like Samuel in our first reading.

“At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.”

However, there are also those among us who are more familiar with Lord like Eli, the priest, in the First reading and John the Baptist in the Gospel. In the First Reading Eli guided Samuel what to do if he is called.

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. Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,not permitting any word of his to be without effect."

In our Gospel we also have John who led his disciples to Jesus.

"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."


Both of these men led their disciples to the Lord. Any calling would led us to the Lord. This is the familiar call. We cannot call it a calling from God when it is leading us away from him. Many are discerning what is the will of God. The simple barometer is whether our response to any call would lead us to God or not. When you think of profession, mission, anything, we simply ask "is this leading me closer to God?"

Third point, productive call. This happens when the one who was called was able to lead others to Jesus. This pattern is common in the New Testament. In our Gospel, this is what happened.

“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.”

This is the cycle of our Christian life. We are all beneficiaries. In one way or another, the Lord has been introduced to us by someone (parents, priest, preacher, friend, etc.) or through something (like Bible, spiritual book, prayer book, sacramental, painting, movie etc.) which was done by someone. It is “Pay it forward” as the title of one film says. In our life now, we have to ask if we have reached the point of sharing Jesus to others. Are we sharing our faith-experience to others? Faith like love is a gift meant to be shared. Like love it is not forcibly given but be shared with gentle care. We undergo this cycle of calling. We heard the call, we respond to it, and help others also to say as our in psalm "Here I am Lord, I come to do you will."

Call is mysterious, familiar and productive.

Responding to God's call does not necessarily mean, entering priesthood, religious life or monastice life. Responding is to make the calling productive in any way.


"There's probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

I read from an article and saw also in TV this new add written on many buses in UK. Just a note on this. I believe that those who are not familiar with God has no moral ground to say “There's probaly no God...". The statement alone does not say anything new. If one is not familiar with the Lord, it is better for him/her to shut up and wait. It is like the one who has never entered the cave and just shout that there's probably no cave. For me, it is arrogance pure and simple to say there is no God. I believe it is also wrong to threaten people in order to believe in God. I believe the add wanted to counter those who proclaims a God who will punish those who do not believe. Faith in our hearts is nurtured not by fear but by love. It is the awareness of how much we are loved by God that moves us to be more faithful and grateful. Our add is, "THERE'S GOD FOR SURE, AND WE ARE NOT WORRYING, IN FACT WE ARE ENJOYING OUR LIFE." We are simply letting God to use us in spreading his love. St. Paul the Apostle has this to say in our second reading,

Do you not know that your bodyis 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.

In our life now, how do we glorify God in our body? Do our bodies glorify tangibly our God?
As Christians we have to be careful on how we react to things which are happening in the world. The recent advertisement that says “There's probably no God...” could trap us. We might become more evil-like than Christ-like in our reactions. Just look at what happened during the Holocaust Holocaust and Christianity by A.Kimel. Accordingly, Christians were the perpetrators.
Therefore, we should be always on guard. We have to be patient. Events like this should make us discern more and pray more. We might find a new way of sharing Jesus without becoming evil. As Christians, we have to exert more effort in sharing the gifts that the Lord has given us even to those who do not believe in him. Jesus simply invited the two disciples by saying, “Come and you will see.” The life of Jesus surely transformed the two disciples, and emboldened them to share their experience to others. May our lives help transform the life of others as well, as we keep on sharing the Lord to the world. There's nothing to debate. For those who believe, no explanation is needed. For those who does not want to believe, no explanation is also needed.
May we always experience a Productive Call in our lives.

Just want to share this story from a friend for all the atheist.

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day. The case was brought before a judge.

After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, 'Case dismissed.'
The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.'
The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, 'But you do. Counsel, your client is woefully ignorant.'
The lawyer said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.' The judge said, 'The calendar says April 1st is 'April Fools Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.'