Daily Readings - Sun Jan 17 2021

³And so, to prevent the lamp of God from going out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was⁴And the Lord called Samuel. And responding, he said, "Here I am.⁵And he ran to Eli, and he said, "Here I am. For you called me." And he said: "I did not call. Return and sleep." And he went away, and he slept⁶And again, the Lord continued to call to Samuel. And rising up, Samuel went to Eli, and he said: "Here I am. For you called me." And he responded: "I did not call you, my son. Return and sleep.⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him⁸And the Lord continued, and he called to Samuel still a third time. And rising up, he went to Eli⁹And he said: "Here I am. For you called me." Then Eli understood that the Lord had called the boy. And he said to Samuel: "Go and sleep. And if he calls to you from now on, you will say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ " Therefore, Samuel went away, and he slept in his place¹⁰And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, just as he had called the other times, "Samuel, Samuel." And Samuel said, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.¹⁹And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground

1 Corinthians

Chapter 6

¹³Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food. But God shall destroy both the stomach and food. And the body is not for fornication, but rather for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body¹⁴Truly, God has raised up the Lord, and he will raise us up by his power¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are a part of Christ? So then, should I take a part of Christ and make it a part of a harlot? Let it not be so¹⁷But whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit¹⁸Flee from fornication. Every sin whatsoever that a man commits is outside of the body, but whoever fornicates, sins against his own body¹⁹Or do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own²⁰For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify and carry God in your body

John

Chapter 1

³⁵The next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples³⁶And catching sight of Jesus walking, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God.³⁷And two disciples were listening to him speaking. And they followed Jesus³⁸Then Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him, said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi (which means in translation, Teacher), where do you live?³⁹He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour⁴⁰And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard about him from John and had followed him⁴¹First, he found his brother Simon, and he said to him, "We have found the Messiah," (which is translated as the Christ)⁴²And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, gazing at him, said: "You are Simon, son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas," (which is translated as Peter)

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of listening, responding to God’s call, and living as temples of the Holy Spirit. In the first reading, we hear the story of Samuel, a young boy who learns to recognize the voice of the Lord. Despite his initial confusion and the patience of Eli, Samuel comes to understand that God is speaking to him. This passage reminds us that God calls each of us, often in unexpected ways, and that we must cultivate the humility and openness to hear His voice. In the second reading, St. Paul emphasizes the dignity of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. He warns against using our bodies for sin, particularly fornication, because such actions harm not only our own bodies but also the Body of Christ. This teaching calls us to live with self-control and reverence for the gift of our bodies, remembering that we belong to God and are called to glorify Him in all we do. The Gospel continues this theme of response and discipleship. John the Baptist points his disciples to Jesus, and they follow Him. When Jesus asks them what they are seeking, they respond with curiosity and openness, leading to an invitation to “come and see.” Andrew, in turn, brings his brother Peter to Jesus, who gives him a new name, signaling a new identity and mission. This passage reminds us that following Christ is not a solitary journey but one that draws others into the life of faith. Today, let us ask ourselves: Am I truly listening to God’s call? Am I living in a way that honors the Holy Spirit dwelling within me? And am I inviting others to encounter the Messiah, as Andrew did? May we respond to God’s call with faith, live with integrity as temples of the Holy Spirit, and share the joy of knowing Christ with others.