Sunday, January 14, 2018

Spiritual Mentors

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary resonate with our search for God and how Divine Revelation is primarily a part of Life itself.

 The First Book of Samuel relates the calling of Samuel when he was under the mentorship of Eli.
* [3:2–18] The call of Samuel: This section may be divided as follows: 1. the triple summons (vv. 2–9); 2. God’s revelation (vv. 10–14); 3. Samuel informs Eli (vv. 15–18).
The First Letter to the Corinthians today is an exhortation from Paul for followers of Christ to live as witnesses to the Spirit within our human bodies.
* [6:19–20] Paul’s vision becomes trinitarian. A temple: sacred by reason of God’s gift, his indwelling Spirit. Not your own: but “for the Lord,” who acquires ownership by the act of redemption. Glorify God in your body: the argument concludes with a positive imperative to supplement the negative “avoid immorality” of 1 Cor 6:18. Far from being a terrain that is morally indifferent, the area of sexuality is one in which our relationship with God (and his Christ and his Spirit) is very intimately expressed: he is either highly glorified or deeply offended.
In the Gospel from John, the disciples of John the Baptist are directed to accept Jesus invitation to Come and See the life of the Messiah.
* [1:37] The two disciples: Andrew (Jn 1:40) and, traditionally, John, son of Zebedee (see note on Jn 13:23).
The message that we are not alone in our spiritual quest is a theme in the commentary for the 2nd Sunday Ordinary time. Deacon David Lesieur shares vocation calling with the teaching of Fr. Henri Nouwen, St. Francis DeSales and Thomas Merton.
In our prayer before mass with our servers the priest’s blessing is: “May God give the grace to know your true vocation in life and the courage to follow it with your whole heart.”  EACH ONE OF US HAS A VOCATION IN LIFE… We are placed where we are in God’s plan and our response must be to listen and act – It is a temptation from the evil one to waste one’s life away not moving an inch and waiting for God to literally point me in the right direction.  Might it be that he may have placed you where you need to be?  Maybe the creator of the Universe has a place in his plan for all his creatures???? But he also gave you the free will to say yes and follow him, or to stay stuck in the mud. For some the mud is a too comfortable place.
The Christophers offer a Meditation on Spiritual Friendship by Mary DeTurris Poust.
Meditation onSpiritual FriendshipWe are not meant to be solitary figureswalking a lonely path toward heaven.We are meant for God and for eachother.We are one body with many parts,sharing our gifts and growing in faith.Today we pray for the grace to recognizethe friends in our midst, to openour eyes, our hearts, our minds to thepossibility of what God has planned.We long for a community of friendsto journey with us, and we know nowthat through trust and abandonment,we will be given exactly what we need.—Mary DeTurris Poust,Walking Together
MaryLee Brock is inspired by the mentors in the Liturgy today to seek her own role in mentorship.
Today I am inspired to look for opportunities to be a spiritual mentor to others.  When can I invite someone to hear God’s call?  How can I challenge someone who might be making a choice that does not glorify God?  What are some ways I can support those who appreciate the truth and grace of our Messiah?  And how can I be open to the mentors in my life who urge me to behold the Lamb of God?
Don Schwager quotes Augustine of Hippo on our being called by God and John Chrysostom (349-407 AD) on the importance of being eager to extend a hand to another when it comes to spiritual matters.
"Come and see" is the Lord's invitation for each one of us to discover the joy of friendship and communion with the One who made us in love for love. Saint Augustine of Hippo reminds us that it is God, our Creator and Redeemer, who seeks us out, even when we are not looking for him: "If you hadn't been called by God, what could you have done to turn back? Didn’t the very One who called you when you were opposed to Him make it possible for you to turn back?" It is God who initiates and who draws us to himself. Without his mercy and help we could not find him on our own.

 Friar Jude Winkler comments on how Eli advises Samuel, who is someone to whom God is speaking, how to prepare to listen. Paul urges the Corinthians to live according to a different moral standard. The character of Peter is contrasted with the beloved disciple in the Gospel from John.

 Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how Life itself is the primary divine revelation. Our journey is with others who are in the Life in which we will come and see God revealed.
Faith is the other side of the coin of revelation. Faith is God’s self-exposure received and responded to trustfully. A genuine act of faith is always in response to a new disclosure. It is meant to be an ongoing dialogue of divine disclosure and human response—an ever deeper divine disclosure and an ever deeper human response—just like any human love affair. People who are incapable of vulnerability thus cannot get very far on the journey of faith. They usually substitute either religion itself or atheistic denial.
The guidance of people we encounter and teaching that resonates with us are crucial aids in our formation.

References
(n.d.). 1 Samuel, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/3
(n.d.). 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/6
(n.d.). John, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/1
(n.d.). 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - Corpus Christi Catholic Church .... Retrieved January 14, 2018, from https://spiritualhome.org/news/2nd-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b
(n.d.). Sacred Communication True Soul Mates Growing ... - The Christophers. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from https://www.christophers.org/document.doc?id=346
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 14, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 14, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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