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1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.

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There are three important points that this reading brings out for me:

1)     We need to spend time in quiet prayer with the Lord every day.  Where did Samuel sleep?  It was in the temple.  He stayed close to the Lord and began hearing the Lord’s voice.  Do I spend time daily in quiet prayer in the presence of our Lord?

2)    Samuel didn’t recognize this voice at first.  He needed practice.  Prayer is an art.  We need to practice. We need to spend time perfecting the art of listening for the voice of God.  This does not happen overnight, but through a lifetime of spending time with the Lord.  How often do I practice the art of prayer?

3)    Samuel needed Eli to help him to know that the voice he was hearing was that of God.  Eli was the spiritual director that Samuel needed.  We too need someone with experience, like Eli, to guide us along the path toward Jesus.  Do I have a spiritual director or guide in your life?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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