Listen (2024-03-30, Easter Vigil)

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Homily, Easter VIGIL Sunday (year B) ●●  2024 March 31  ●● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

[__01__]    Blessed Easter Sunday to you, your family, your loved ones.

In the traditions of the Church, Easter is the time to celebrate baptism, especially during the Easter Vigil,  after sunset, symbolizing the transition from darkness to light.

 [__02__]     The Bible tells us of a prophet and teacher of God’s Word who was awakened and called by God at night time, while he was sleeping. This is the prophet “Samuel”.

          And, Samuel – actually “Miguel Samuel” is the name of our young friend who is here for the Sacraments of Initation. He is known by his family and by you and me affectionately as “Sammy”.

          Sammy will receive

Sacraments of Initiation at this Vigil: Baptism, Confirmation, and 1^st Holy Communion, after years of faithful attendance and instruction in the Catholic faith.

 

[__03__]      Who was Samuel in the Bible? His family and friends are also important. Hannah, his mother, prayed fervently for a child to be born

and “she called [him] Samuel, since she had asked [prayed to] the Lord for him.” (1 Samuel 2:20)

 The name Samuel means “God has heard”. And, the life of Samuel also about listening, prayer and being blessed.

Due to travel constraints, Eileen Reilly has graciously accepted the call to be Sammy's sponsor and godmother, embodying our spirit of support and prayer. We recognize you, Sammy as a blessing to your family and our parish family of Our Lady of Lourdes,

 [__04__]      In the Bible, Samuel learns to listen especially when he becomes becomes an assistant as a young person to the Temple priest, whose name is Eli.

          One night both Samuel and Eli are asleep. Samuel is asleep in front of the Tabernacle. Samuel is awakened by the sound of a voice and goes to Eli, saying, “Here I am. You called me”. Children sometimes wake up their parents and elders at night!

          Eli replies the 1^st (2^nd) time, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”

          A 2^nd time à [italics]

          A 3^rd time à Samuel is awakened by a voice and goes to Eli, saying, “Here I am. You called me”.

          Eli now recognizes that God is involved and says: “Go to sleep and if you are called, reply ‘Speak, Lord for your servant is listening.’ ” (cf. 1 Samuel 3:1-10)

 

[__05__]   Samuel gives the example not only to listen each other but also to listen to God. Samuel gives a lesson to parents not only to teach their child to obey parental instructions but also to obey God’s wisdom.

 

[__06__]      Just as Jesus' resurrection sparked a period of awakening and intimacy with his disciples, so too does your baptism, my baptism which happened years ago remind us to listen to pray daily for strength.

Jesus rises and reunites with his disciples, for only for 50 days in person on earth, but these days are a prelude to a lifelong personal relationship with God, one we are all working on.

          The Good News of Jesus spreads not due to showy demonstration of the resurrection, but goes “viral” because Jesus meets tenderly and intimately with his friends building a personal relationship with them, reminding them of God’s mercy.

Our friend, here in this church Sammy.  Sammy's initiation marks a new beginning—a time for listening, prayer, and personal encounter with God. We are called to help Sammy by our prayers.

[__07__]      Like the prophet Samuel, we are called to pray before the Tabernacle, recognizing it as the sacred space for communion with God.

We also need your prayers, Sammy, whether offered at home or in church.

[__08__]       In the Bible, Samuel also had a key role as the one who anointed both King Saul and King David, the first 2 kings of Israel.

          But, Samuel the prophet learns from God that best kings and leaders are not just those who are tallest and strongest and eldest.

Samuel hears the Lord say, “man looks at the appearance but God looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  And, so David – who was the younger and apparently weaker– was selected and anointed by Samuel. As a predecessor to Jesus, David was greatest of the original kings of Israel

          Jesus is a descendant – in the family tree of David.  Similarly, Jesus will appear, many times, to be the weaker one, the compromised one described by Isaiah the prophet in our 1^st reading of Good Friday:

          “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah 53:1)

          Yet, Jesus gives us a model of courage and blessing to follow and to unite ourselves to God in terms of community, communion and communication.

          I pray this Easter will remind all of us of our Baptismal call which we share with you, Sammy, as the People God and that we are called spiritual alertness to make the Prophet Samuel’s words our own when we are awakened: “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9)   [__end__]