1Samuel 3:1-10,19-20 /Ps. 39:2,5,7–10 / Mark 1:29-39

Beloved in Christ,
We all know from our daily lives that we relate to different people in different ways. We speak differently to a child than to a colleague, differently to a close friend than to a stranger. In the same way, our relationship with God is not limited to just one form. That is why prayer, too, takes many forms-petition, praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and today, very especially, the prayer of listening.
Both of today’s readings invite us into this kind of prayer.
In the first reading, we meet the young Samuel.

God was already speaking to him, calling him by name, yet Samuel could not recognize God’s voice. This is very human. God often speaks to us long before we realize it. He speaks through Scripture. He communicates through events in our lives. We hear Him in the words of others and through the quiet movements of our hearts. But like Samuel,

we can easily confuse God’s voice with other voices. Samuel needed Eli, the elderly priest, to help him. Eli did not speak for God; rather, he taught Samuel how to listen. He gave him a simple but powerful prayer: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

This is a prayer we could all learn to make our own. It is an ideal prayer to begin a moment of silence. Perhaps it is best early in the morning before the house wakes up. Another perfect time might be at night when the day’s noise has settled. Instead of filling prayer with many words, we simply place ourselves before God and say, “Lord, 1 am here. Teach me. Guide me. I am listening.”

The Gospel shows us that even Jesus needed this kind of prayer. We are given a glimpse of a very busy day in his life. He teaches in the synagogue. He heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Then, he spends the evening caring for the sick and the suffering who gather at the house. It is a beautiful picture of generosity and service.
Yet, before dawn the next morning, Jesus slips away to a lonely place to pray. This detail is very important. Jesus, the Son of God, still needed silence. He still needed to listen to the Father. If Jesus needed time alone with God, how much more do we?
When Simon Peter and the others find him, they say, “Everyone is looking for you.” It sounds innocent, even flattering. There was still so much good work to be done in Capernaum. More people needed healing. More people needed help. Yet this was a subtle temptation.

Not every good thing is God’s will for us at that moment.
Because Jesus had listened in prayer, he was clear. He knew that God was calling him to move on, to preach in other towns. This disappointed the disciples. It probably confused the people of Capernaum. But Jesus remained faithful—not to expectations, not to popularity, but to the Father’s will.

Brothers and sisters, we face similar temptations.
We can be pulled in many directions. Family expectations, work demands, and parish responsibilities all vie for our attention. Even good and generous desires can divert us.
Sometimes people expect us to do more, stay longer, give endlessly. Without prayer, we can easily lose our way. Prayer of listening gives us clarity. It helps us to discern when to say yes and when, lovingly and faithfully, to say no. It gives us the courage to choose God’s path even when others do not understand. This week, let us ask ourselves:

• Do I create space for silence in my prayer?
• Do I allow God to speak, or do I only speak to God?
• Whose voice directs my decisions-God’s voice, or the loud voices around me?

Let us ask for the grace to pray like Samuel and like Jesus. May we learn to say each day, quietly and sincerely: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
And may that listening prayer give us the wisdom, strength, and peace to walk faithfully in the way the Lord is calling us today.