Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Andrzej Wyrostek
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, January 14, 2024

My dear friends, on this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the main topic I could say is to expect the unexpected. Expect the unexpected is a message for our first reading and the Gospel passage. In the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius, we look at some point into the discernment of the spirits and how our actions are affecting our friendship with God. And the main topic or the main point of those exercises could be again summarized as: expect the unexpected. Sometimes, we hear that God speaks to us, or we hear others telling us God talks to them, and we wonder when we are going to hear God speaking to us. But then at the same time, we need to be ready to expect the unexpected. 

Just look at the first reading. Eli and Samuel. Two people. Samuel is a young man. He doesn’t know really what’s going on, but he’s very obedient. Eli, on the other hand, spent his whole life with God serving him in the temple, and he doesn’t know really what’s going on either. Samuel, out of obedience, hearing the voice calling his name, he presumes it’s Eli and goes right away to him with the simple statement, “Hear am I. You called me.” 

Eli dismisses Samuel several times until he finally catches that something is going on. Recognizing that they are both in a temple of God, that it must be the voice of God calling Samuel. So, the next time you hear this voice, just respond, “Hear am I Lord. Speak, your servant is listening.” 

And so, we find out that message again in the Gospel passage. Andrew and Peter walk by, and then, finally, they come upon Jesus. John, seeing Jesus, he calls him by his title, Lamb of God. And yet, then Jesus, turning to Andrew, the first disciple to be called, says, “Come, follow me.” 

Andrew wants to know what is going on. He wants to figure out what he is getting himself into. But Jesus’ response is not what he was probably thinking. “Come and see.” 

Expect the unexpected. The invitation from God to us as we discern our own story of life. As we discern our own journey with Christ. As we discern through, as Saint Ignatius would say, what is the Spirit doing in our life? What spirit is guiding us and how that spirit is helping us to strengthen our friendship with God. Or sometimes it could be to prohibit that friendship with God. 

The discernment of the spirits and our response to God calls us constantly to the beautiful opportunity to perhaps reflect on the unexpected moments of God working in our life. 

As we continue on this week praising God, let us also open our hearts to God’s grace at work, expecting sometimes the unexpected. For with God and from God, only good things come.