Fr. Doug’s Musings
Second Sunday of Lent When God calls Abraham by name, Abraham says, “Here I am!” When we read sacred scripture, that seems to be the appropriate response when God calls. When God calls Mary, she too quickly and clearly makes herself available to God, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”. A number of biblical figures respond generously with “Here I am, Lord!” when God calls. Eli teaches Samuel to say, “Here I am, Lord!” when God calls Samuel. But not all biblical figures offer such a generous response. When God calls Adam and Eve, they hide from God. They are concerned about themselves and about what they look like and they are afraid of what they have done. In a word they are unavailable. When we baptize our children we ask, “What name have you given your child?” and the parents proudly proclaim the name of the child. Through this simple ritual we celebrate the fact that this child belongs to God. As time unfolds, it is the task of parents, godparents and family, to teach the child to respond with “Here I am, Lord!” when the Lord calls the child’s name. Like Eli, it is our responsibility to help our young people to recognize the voice of God and to respond generously. God has not stopped calling us by name. His call comes to us in many ways, privately in the silence of our hearts and minds. At times we are called individually and at times we are called as a community through the voices of our brothers and sisters and through the cries of the earth. We are to take care of our common home and all who dwell within it. According to social scientists, ‘Millennials’ are less inclined to respond to pleas for help. The number of people volunteering to help in North America is declining. People who are regular Church goers tend to respond most frequently and most generously to the needs of the community. Is God still calling us by name? Is there too much noise in our lives to hear God calling? Have we stopped listening for God’s voice? Have we forgotten how to say, “Here I am, Lord!”? Do we lack generosity? Is there another explanation for our lack of care for one another? As a parish community, we are known for our generosity! With Abraham, we speak our “Here I am Lord!” loudly and clearly in what we say and in what we do. Can we add to our generosity by becoming a little bit more like the prophet Eli and teach others to say, “Here I am, Lord!”? Can we invite them to join us as we make ourselves available to God’s call? |