天主的召唤

常年期第二主日

今日圣道礼仪的主题是圣召。撒幕尔，基督的首批门徒和格林多人都蒙召来侍奉天主。但是，然而，为了认识到这一事实，他们在信德上需要引导。在读经一中，厄里明白是主在召叫年轻的撒幕尔，便教导他如何回应天主的声音。在福音中，洗者若翰引导门徒们关注耶稣，而在读经二中，圣徒保禄让格林多人明白他们对于基督伦理的错谬观念。

厄里、洗者若翰以及保禄宗徒都是成熟的人，在生活中并在信仰方面拥有丰富的经验。厄里作为司祭，奉献一生照顾圣所中的约柜，他在撒幕尔蒙召的时候已经荣休（撒上1：3）。洗者若翰即将完成他见证那光的使命（若1：8）。圣保禄经历了深刻的灵性转变。那个曾一度迫害基督的人，却成了祂最忠信的仆人（斐3：5-11）。

在信仰之路上，撒幕尔、安德肋、若翰、伯多禄和格林多人既都是年轻人，有都是新手。关于撒幕尔，圣经说：“他不知道是上主，因为上主的话尚未启示给他”（撒上3:7 ）。门徒们听到耶稣的问题“你们找什么”，便回答说：“师傅，你住在哪里？（若1:38）。格林多的神恩团体——在希腊阿哈雅省的福音初果——仍不理解跟随基督的要求。他们彼此分裂，不明白圣体圣事的奥秘，曲解了复活的真理，有的甚至带头度着不道德的生活方式。他们都缺乏信仰和伦理经验，需要灵修导师来引导他们归向天主，回归神圣。

今天的圣道礼仪所勾勒出的圣召，经历三个阶段。第一阶段由年轻的撒幕尔为代表。我们不知道天主，祂的话也尚未启示给我们。第二阶段由耶稣的首批门徒——跟随基督者为代表。第三阶段由格林多人为代表。这一阶段加深我们的信仰，助我们正确理解我们跟随基督的条件。在以上每一阶段中，我们都需要灵修导师。必须有人向我们展示圣经的美，唤起我们对基督的兴趣，教导我们履行基督徒道德标准（教理讲授）的义务。只有在这种情况下，我们才能用圣咏的话来回应天主的召叫：“主啊，我已来到，为承行你的旨意”（咏40：8a、9a）。

God’s Calling

Readings: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10,19; Psalm 40; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42

The theme of the liturgy of the Word is vocation. Samuel, the first disciples of Christ, and the Corinthians are called to serve God. However, in order to realize this fact, they need guides in faith. In the first reading, Eli understands that the Lord calls young Samuel and so teaches him how to respond to God’s voice. In the Gospel, John the Baptist directs the disciples’ attention towards Jesus, and in the second reading, Saint Paul makes the Corinthians aware of their mistaken notion of Christian morality.

Eli, John the Baptist, and the apostle Paul were mature people and possessed enormous experience in life and faith. Eli, as a priest, spent all his life caring for the ark of the sanctuary of God and at the time of Samuel’s call, he was already retired (1 Sam 1: 3). John the Baptist was finishing his mission of witnessing to the light (John 1: 8). There was one more task left to fulfill, namely to make the world aware that no power is above the law. He would pay for it with his life. Finally, Saint Paul has undergone a profound spiritual change. The one who persecuted Christ became his most faithful servant (Phil 3: 5-11).

Samuel, Andrew, John, Peter and the Corinthians were either young or neophytes on the path of faith. About Samuel, the Scripture says that “he did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him yet” (1 Sam. 3: 7). To Jesus’ question, “What do you seek?”, the disciples answered: “Master, where do you live?” (John 1:38). Finally, the charismatic community at Corinth – the first fruit of the Gospel in the Greek province of Achaia – still did not understand the requirements of following Christ. They were divided among themselves, did not understand the mystery of the Eucharist, misinterpreted the truth about the resurrection, and some even led an immoral lifestyle. All of them, inexperienced in matters of faith and morality, needed spiritual guides who would lead them to God and holiness.

The path of vocation sketched in today’s Liturgy of the Word goes through three stages. The first stage is represented by young Samuel. God is unknown to us, and the word of the Lord has not yet been revealed to us. The second stage is represented by the first disciples of Jesus – following Christ. Finally, the third stage is symbolized by the Corinthians. This is the stage of deepening our faith and grasping correct understanding of what it requires of us. At each of these stages we need spiritual guides. Someone must show us the beauty of the Holy Scriptures, arouse our fascination with Christ, and teach us (catechize) the obligations of Christian moral standards. Only in this case, we will be able to answer God’s calling with the words of the Psalmist: “Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will “(Psalm 40: 8a.9a).