Young Samuel was serving the Lord under the priest Eli. In those days, the word of God was rare, and visions were not widespread.
One day, Eli was lying in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim, and he could not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the sanctuary of the Lord, where the ark of God was located…
READINGS FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1 SAMUEL 3, 3-10 AND 19
Young Samuel was serving the Lord under the priest Eli.
In those days, the word of God was rare, and visions were not widespread.
One day, Eli was lying in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim, and he could not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the sanctuary of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
The Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” He answered, “Here I am,” and ran to Eli, saying, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; go back and lie down.”
So Samuel went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down.”
The Lord called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”
So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
The first book of Samuel is part of a group of books we call the “historical books” (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings). They narrate the history of the people of Israel from the entry into the Promised Land until the fall of Jerusalem into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the exile of the people to Babylon.
But these books, which use very ancient documents and sources to narrate the events, are not primarily historical in intention, but rather “prophetic,” religious: it is the history of the relationships of the people with God, of their fidelities and infidelities, and of how, ultimately, the estrangement from God ends in punishment.
Once again, it is not so much about history but about “the History of Salvation.” They show very clearly the faith of Israel: everything is about the relationship with God, the entire history of man is read from this perspective: accepting the Law to be saved; rejecting the Law and being lost. Therefore, in these books, there are very clear testimonies of the relationship of the people with God, the role of the prophets, the progressive knowledge of God.
In the Hebrew Bible, these books are called “the Former Prophets.” After them come “the Latter Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah…). This well shows the intention of the authors.
At the beginning of the first book of Samuel, the vocation of one who will be a great prophet is narrated, the one who will anoint Saul and David. And this is the basic theme of this Sunday: the encounter with God, the call, the vocation.
1 CORINTHIANS 6, 13-20
Brothers and sisters: the body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power, God raised the Lord and will also raise us up. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against their own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
We are going to do a “continuous” reading of this letter, selecting fragments in the order in which they appear in it. Therefore, its message will have nothing to do with the other two readings, except by chance. Today’s text presents a beautiful doctrine of Paul on respect for the body as the temple of God.
José Enrique Galarreta, S.J.