Hearing God's Call

After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Jason Brown was one of the best  American football players at his position. He was soon signed for a contract worth 37.5 million dollars. However, after 12 years in the league, he decided at the age of 29 to give it all up. Instead of signing with a team, he bought a one thousand acre farm in North Carolina. Some of his teammates wondered whether he had taken too many shots to the head. His agent told him that he was making the worst decision of his life. Nonetheless, he was determined.

What motivated Jason Brown to give up a promising and lucrative career for the simple life of a farmer? He felt in his heart a deep need to provide for the less fortunate. After learning that one out of five people in North Carolina do not have enough food to feed themselves and their families, he knew he had to do more than donate money to charity. He committed himself to using his farm to provide fresh vegetables and produce to those families. Calling his business, “First Fruit Farms”, he pledged to donate the first yield of his crops to area soup kitchens and food pantries.

Though it is a far cry from the excitement and glamour he experienced playing in the National Football League, Jason finds working on the land and providing for others fulfilling. When describing his new life to CBS news he was quoted as saying, “When I think about a life of greatness, I think about a life of service.”

We live in a culture that glorifies fame and wealth. Even believers can be swept up in the illusion that if we had more money or more glamorous lives we would feel better about ourselves and all our problems would melt away. However, as the story of Jason Brown teaches us, it is the life of service to others that is the most fulfilling. Seeking to enrich others rather than ourselves is the real secret to a happy life.

Of course, we have to imagine that the decision to leave the career he had worked hard to establish did not happen overnight. There must have been many evenings when he lay awake wondering what God’s plan for him was. There must have been many days when he asked himself whether there was more to life than throwing a football around. There must have been many hours of prayer and soul-searching before making such a huge change in his lifestyle.

Such was the experience of Samuel in today’s first reading. He heard God’s call but was still too young to understand who was calling him. It was not until he received some guidance from the older and wiser Eli that he could answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening” and hear the voice of God. We do not always recognize the voice of God when He first calls us. However, He never gives up on us, stirring our hearts again and again until we finally stop and listen.

Are you feeling restless? Do you feel that your life is not as fulfilling as you expect it to be? Do you wonder whether there is more that you should be doing but do not know where to look? It could be that God is stirring your heart, calling you to something greater. Finding out what it may be is as simple as slowing ourselves down to listen to what is going on within us. Like Samuel, all we need to do is find a quiet place and pray, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

It can be tempting when we sense a void within us to want to fill it with noise. We think that watching a movie or listening to music will drown out the discontent echoing in our souls. Other times we may be tempted to fill our schedule with activities so that we will be too busy to slow down and attend to the cry of our heart. We can also try to fill what is lacking in our lives with toys, clothes or technology. However, none of these distractions ultimately satisfies the longing of our soul. There is no way of silencing the call within us except to slow down and listen to it.

Most likely, as Jason Brown discovered, the call we are hearing is to serve others. It may be as dramatic as leaving our job to work with the needy or to dedicate ourselves to religious life. Or it may be as simple as volunteering at a soup kitchen or hospital. Whatever it may be, we will never find out unless we are willing to listen to the stirring of God in our soul.

One thing is certain. We can never find happiness and fulfillment in this world if all we do is live for ourselves. All it can bring us is endless dissatisfaction and anxiety. When we live only for ourselves, nothing is ever enough. We blame others for not meeting our needs and become collapsed in on ourselves. Only when we decide to live for others do we find our real identity and purpose.

John the Baptist is our shining example. The whole purpose of his life was to point to Jesus. Even before he met the Lord, he dedicated himself to preparing the way for the One who was greater than he. And when Jesus did appear, he was quick to point him out to others, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Those who were following him left to follow Jesus. In that moment, John the Baptist must have experienced his deepest sense of fulfillment and happiness because he was leading others to Jesus.

We are gathered here today to interrupt our busy schedules, to slow down and to listen to the God who stirs in our hearts. He is calling out to us to make us aware of how much He loves us. Then, He is calling us to share that love with others. God has a plan for each of us. We can only avoid Him for so long. Today is the day to stop searching for our purpose elsewhere and to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.

God's Voice Coming Through

Kevin was a young man who had graduated from college with a degree in accounting and was struggling to find employment in his field. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not seem to find a job which fit his skills and training.  To make ends meet, he was forced to work part time jobs as a landscaper during the summer and preparing tax returns during the spring.

After three years of searching and still not having any luck, he complained about his situation to a friend over a beer. Listening to him pour out all his frustration and bitterness, the friend looked him in the eye and said, “You have looked everywhere and have not been able to find anything that suits you. Do you think God may be trying to tell you something?”

Kevin was not quite sure what his friend meant but it made him think. Maybe the reason he had met with such little success was that he was thinking too much about what he wanted and not enough about what God wanted. So he decided to start praying about his future career and to ask God to reveal His plan to him. Within a few months, he landed a job working for a non-profit organization. Though it was not what he originally had in mind, he found the work challenging and fulfilling. By placing his future in God’s hands and listening earnestly to what God had in store for him, he found his way in life.

When we are struggling, when things just do not seem to fit, when everything we try seems to go wrong, it is very often the case that we are not in the place God desires us to be. Sometimes we want a career or a relationship so badly that we will do just about anything to make it work. But no matter how hard we try it just seems to fall apart in our hands. That is when it is time to turn to God and ask Him whether what we are pursuing is really part of His plan for us. Then we have to trust that He will answer us and provide us with what we need to follow His way for our lives.

How can we listen to the voice of God? Today’s first reading gives us an important clue. Young Samuel hears the voice of God but mistakes it for his mentor, Eli. When he realizes that it is God calling the boy, Eli gives him some good advice. He tells him to pray, “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Whenever we prayer, we should make those words our own. “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Then we have to simply trust that God has heard our prayer and will answer in His own way and in His own time. If God has a message for us, He will make sure we hear it. For our part, we have to keep our eyes and ears open looking for God’s answer. And we have to be ready to act on His word as eagerly as young Samuel who jumped right out of bed when he heard his master’s voice.

God speaks to us in many ways. However, most often He delivers His message to us through other people. It was true of Kevin, the accounting major, who needed his friend to remind him to make God a part of his plans for the future. It was true of young Samuel who was not familiar with the ways of the Lord and needed the more experienced Eli to advise him on how to listen to the Lord. It was true of Jesus’ first disciples in the gospel who needed John the Baptizer to point out that the Lamb of God was passing by. It was true of Peter who needed his brother, Andrew, to lead him to Jesus. And it is true for us. Most often, God will deliver His message to us through others. Sometimes it will be people we are close to such as family members or friends. Other times, it will be through total strangers. Whomever God sends our way, however, we need to be ready to listen and respond.

That is why if we are going to make any progress in following Jesus, we need to surround ourselves with virtuous Christian friends. We are not meant to follow Jesus alone. Each of us needs other Christians to be models of virtue for us, to encourage us when we fail and to give us advice when we are confused. A good way to find such friends is to become more involved in our parish. We are blessed with many members who are faith-filled followers of Christ and are willing to share their faith with others. Helping out with fundraisers, religious education or other activities is a way to meet such wonderful people. Also making a retreat is a great way to meet other people who share our faith in the Risen Lord and can inspire us to be faithful in our own journey. If we are serious about following the Lord and seeking His will, he will place such friends in our life to help support us along the way.

It is incredible to think that the God who created the universe with all its wonders and who guides the course of history knows each of us by name and loves us personally. He wants to speak to each of us, to tell us how much He loves us and to take us by the hand and lead us to a fulfilling life. Because He loves us, He places people in our lives to support, encourage and inspire us. For our part, we have to listen for His voice and be ready to respond eagerly when He calls. Just as He has given us His word to instruct us, so He gives us the Body and Blood of His Son to strengthen and heal us so that we can leave this place to follow the Lamb of God.