The Call of Samuel

"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." (1 Samuel 3: 3 – 19)

The Call of Samuel

The Lord called Samuel thrice before he answered. God is an excellent and patient communicator.

"There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or of his choice." (Romans 11: 29)

God has been faithful to his word in Romans 11: 29 with regard to his call to me. Not even the tragedy of sin was permitted to frustrate the call. Thank you Jesus.

Power Prayer

"Almighty and ever-present Father,

your watchful care reaches from end to end

and orders all things in such power

that even the tensions and tragedies of sin

cannot frustrate your loving plans.

Help us to embrace your will,

give us the strength to follow your call,

so that your truth may live in our hearts

and reflect peace to those who believe in your love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord."

The Church prays thus in the Opening Prayer in the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. I call this power prayer. Consider these truths in the prayer:

• God's plan for us is loving.
  
• Nothing can frustrate this plan; not even sins.
  
• We need God's help to embrace his will.
  
• We need his strength to follow his call.
  

I rejoice in the certain knowledge that God's loving providence covers my life totally. All is well. All shall be well. All manner of things shall be well.

Doctor of Souls

"It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright but sinners." (Mark 2: 17)

Jesus Christ, our high priest is also a doctor of souls. He feels at home among sinners. He brings them healing.

The call of Levi: "Come follow me."

"I came not to call the upright but sinners."

St. Paul, St. Augustine and numerous other saints became exhibits to God's love and mercy.

Our Supreme High Priest

"Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must hold firm to our profession of faith. For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weakness with us, but has been put to the test in exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin. Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace when we are in need of help." (Hebrews 4: 14 – 16)

Jesus, Son of God

Jesus, our supreme high priest

We must hold firm to our profession of faith in Jesus. This is because Jesus, the Son of God is also our supreme high priest.

What faith do I need to hold firm at this time?

• God has a good plan for my welfare: Jeremiah 29: 11
  
• God will open for me a door that nobody can close: Revelation 3: 8
  
• God will never abandon me nor forsake me: Hebrews 13: 5
  
• God himself will lead me across this passage: Deuteronomy 31: 3
  

Christ, our high priest is imminently qualified to help us because he has experienced our problems. He had great desires as a man. He too faced delays, disappointments and obstacles. So he understands how I feel about my delays, disappointments and obstacles. I should bear this in mind when I approach Christ in prayer with my needs. This insight should give me confidence when I approach the throne of grace either through prayer, his word, in the Blessed Sacrament or in the Eucharist. The Lord himself says: "Have no fear in approaching the throne of grace when in need of help."

Faithing

"We received the gospel exactly as they did; but hearing the message did them no good because they did not share the faith of those who did listen. We, however, who have faith, are entering a place of rest." (Hebrews 4: 2)

Faith leads to the possession of God's promises of:

• Peace
  
• Provision
  
• Protection
  
• Power
  
• Purpose
  
• Pardon
  

"Faith that is firm is also patient."

"Let us, then, press forward to enter this place of rest." (Hebrews 4: 11) We press forward in faith towards our final place of rest, heaven. We persevere. We persist. We never give up.

"Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'My child, your sins are forgiven ….. I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home." (Mark 2: 5)

What did Jesus see? He saw the relatives and friends of the paralytic acting out their faith. If we open our eyes, we too can see people faithing everyday.

The Promise never lapses

"Let us beware, then: since the promise never lapses, none of you must think that he has come too late for the promise of entering the place of rest." (Hebrews 4:1)

God's promises never lapse. I cherish so much these promises of God to me:

• "I will never forsake you nor abandon you." (Hebrews 13: 5)
  
• "My plan for you is a future full of hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)
  

In another passage, the Lord said: "My salvation will not be late."

So my soul, be patient. Do not be deceived by the passage of time. Everything in life happens at the time God wants it.