“Here I am. You called me.”
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
The circle of the Church year returns to green Ordinary, or growing time. It is during these scintillating days (as Fr. Chuck Kullmann so lovingly calls them!) that we get to hear Jesus begin his ministry and learn from him and his followers. The first reading from Samuel is something that we all have experienced and something that we all continue listening for. The Lord is calling Samuel out of his restful sleep repeatedly until Samuel finally gives in and says “I am listening” rather than “Here I am.”
We are a few weeks into the new year, how are your resolutions, changes, promises going? Are you like the sleepy Samuel and just saying here I am, take me as I am, or are you leaning in and saying I am listening? And listening can be covered in so many different ways. Just being present in your life, being intune with your body, listening to others in your life, really focusing on that book you are reading, and so on. When the Lord is waking Samuel up, it may seem as an annoyance, but really God is asking him to present.
Last week I shared an article from America Magazine that was passed to me from Fr. Rich Andre. The article was a basis of how to do Mass at home virtually. The author is a mother and took to Social Media to ask people how they are coping watching Mass at home with kids. While I know not all of us have kids at home currently or ever, I know it is not just families struggling with watching Mass online, but it is an everyone problem.
I recently spoke with someone who shared how they were doing Mass and she shared that she refuses to watch Mass in her pajamas. We both laughed at it, because I admitted pajamas or nicely dressed, Mass was just on in our house and I prayed that whatever was being broadcasted stuck to whomever was watching. I take the original sleepy Samuel in our house for Mass. Here we are Lord, we have nothing left to give, but here we are. Here we are in the presence of you, but the distractions around us sometimes might trump what is happening in the Church. And yet week after week we show up, some weeks are better than others, I can appreciate the homily, or really hone in on the Consecration of the beautiful host we all miss receiving. In these moments I am alert Samuel saying I am listening, Lord.
Regardless if you are one million percent always listening or if you are fifty percent just saying here I am, you are showing up, step one, check. Step two, give yourself a lot of grace. Our first passage ends with Samuel knowing that no matter what, the Lord is present in his life, and Samuel in turns begins listening every time the Lord speaks. No matter what you are going through the Lord is with you, regardless.
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Prayer for a Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart … I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
On Sunday, December 27, 2020, Bishop Joe Vasquez is asking us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the Inauguration of the Year of the Domestic Church in the Diocese of Austin.
Throughout the next year, we will focus on twelve monthly themes with accompanying resources. No matter whether your household is a home of one person or a family of many, we are all called to bear witness to and share the Gospel with our families and within our households. These monthly themed items will be ready to for parishes to utilize, implement or share on the first Monday of the previous month.
May we experience the merciful love of God throughout the next year as we grow in faith in our household, personal and parish family.
Throughout the next year, we will focus on twelve monthly themes with accompanying resources. No matter whether your household is a home of one person or a family of many, we are all called to bear witness to and share the Gospel with our families and within our households. These monthly themed items will be ready to for parishes to utilize, implement or share on the first Monday of the previous month.
May we experience the merciful love of God throughout the next year as we grow in faith in our household, personal and parish family.
To continue our journey in January on Vocations, we will be spending time getting to know our Associate Pastor, Fr. Rich Andre, this week. Next week look out for Fr. Paolo Puccini!
To continue our Vocations month, if someone you know is discerning the Priesthood, the Paulist have an upcoming session! They are hosting a Virtual Discernment Retreat on Saturday, January 16th, 10am-8:30pm. This retreat is designed for young men discerning priesthood, diocesan or religious, at any stage in their journey.
Deacon Billy Atkins serves at St. Austin's Parish in Austin, TX. He also is a Paulist Deacon Affiliate:
In this video, our old friend Mike Hayes asks Deacon Billy #FiveQuestions about life and ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn about St. Austin's, please visit: https://staustin.org/
To learn about the Paulist Fathers, please visit: http://paulist.org