Today we hear the wonderful story of the call of Samuel. It took several attempts for him to realize that the Lord was calling him in the middle of the night. The seasoned mentor Eli acted as a kind of spiritual director for Samuel and helped him to discern the voice and message of the Lord. Finally, Samuel was able to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
This text is one of the inspirations for the familiar song composed by Daniel Schutte in 1981. It is used quite a lot in Catholic liturgies. Here is the refrain: “Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.” During this time when we cannot sing in church because of the pandemic, we might especially find ourselves humming along with this stirring hymn.
When have you felt like Samuel? When have you responded to God like Samuel?