Come, and You Will See

01-14-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

In His covenant relationship with the people of Israel, God required human intermediaries to mediate between the people and the Lord. Many times, mediators also acted as the visible leaders of the people, took directives from the Sovereign God, and passed the same onto the people. At a particular time, Eli the priest of Shiloh was the designated intermediary between God and His people. Samuel had been offered to God by his mother and was learning the ways of the Lord under the competent guidance of Eli the priest.

On a particular night, while they slept, God called Samuel three times and three times the young Samuel, who was yet to gain knowledge of God’s ways, went to Eli to answer the call. Eli figured out that God was the One calling the boy and he provided the guidance needed by Samuel; he did as instructed which led to an encounter with the God whose messenger he was to become as a replacement for Eli.

Like Samuel, we all need to be pointed to God by someone or some established authority. This is particularly true when we are young in age or faith. However, having been pointed to and initiated in His ways, it behooves us to work in order to grow our covenant relationship with Him. This we can do by earnestly and actively seeking to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him. Samuel showed the required disposition to grow his relationship with God even as he shuttled between his bed and Eli’s tent. At no point did the young Samuel demonstrate annoyance at being told three times in succession that Eli did not call him, he was ready and willing to obey each summons until Eli discerned that it was God who was calling the youth. If at any point we feel the need to fi ne tune our spiritual ears to answer God’s call, Divine Revelation with its three arms of Scripture, Tradition and The Magisterium, can be made available to us by competent authority if we are willing to discern with the Church.

What Eli did for Samuel, John the Baptist offered two of his Disciples when he saw Jesus walking by. John, the precursor of Christ, pointed Him to his disciples and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” John (the evangelist) reports that the two disciples left John and followed Christ. John the Baptiser had done his job which was to introduce Christ to them and them to Christ. Like Samuel, these two took matters into their own hands and immediately began to develop their relationship with Christ by asking Him, “Where do you live?” when He asked them what they were looking for. Jesus responded by inviting them to “come and see.” This was a privileged invitation to not only encounter Christ but to experience Him in a very intimate way, an experience that would later enable them to know Him, love Him and serve Him. So transforming was their experience of Christ that when Andrew (one of the two) found his brother Simon, he joyfully told him “We have found the Messiah” and happily brought him to also encounter Christ. I have heard someone very knowledgeable refer to Christ as “The Contagious Messiah.” No one who meets Him and enjoys a truly life transforming relationship with Him wants to keep Him and that experience to themselves. There is always an almost compelling urge to share Jesus with others if we have truly “met” Him. Are you experiencing this desire to share Christ’s goodness with others right now? May God always provide us with our own Eli and John the Baptist who will point us to Christ and His will, and may His Grace be sufficient for us as we strive to deepen our personal relationship with Him.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh