DAILY HOMILIES #samuel

A priest is first and foremost a man like every other human being but with a special calling. Like Samuel, a priest is a human being who sleeps very close to the tabernacle and thereby hears God’s voice daily; a human being who listens and counsels like Eli, a human being who points out important things to people like John the Baptist in yesterday’s Gospel passage who said: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Are there promises you have made to God when things were rough for you, yet, long after God heard your prayer, you refused to fulfill your part of the promise? Do you even remember God when things are going well for you? Lastly, are you currently going through a storm, don’t worry, storms do not last forever. Keep telling yourself, “This too shall pass.” Tough times don’t last but tough people do.

It is not in our place to wonder whether others would remember us, all we must do is to ensure that we follow the path Jesus has traced for us; that we live according to the beatitudes contained in today’s Gospel passage; that we wash our robes clean – clean of sin, clean of pride, clean of selfishness; that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

Am I more concerned about what people will say about me than what God will say about me? Am I like Saul seeking the praise and admiration of others rather than the glory of God?

Prayer should not just be all about informing God of our needs and problems as if He does not already know. Prayer is a relationship. It is a conversation. As we talk, we must listen