VOCATION AS HISTORY OF LOVE

Reflection from 1Sm 3: 3-10; 1Cor 6: 13c-15a.17-20; John 1, 35-42

The liturgy of this Sunday confirms that God establishes a relationship of love with each person, calling him/her to the service of his people.  God takes initiative to call the person by the own name, valuing his/her history and identity. Although God can do everything alone, he wanted to use us as his collaborators. This reality inspired Saint Augustine to say: “God created us without our participation, but he wanted to save us with our participation”.  

The vocation of Samuel, narrated in the First reading, is model for all vocations. God comes to meet him in his reality and calls him by his name. Of course he needed of a process of discernment in order to understand the desires of God. The priest Eli was the mediation of God to help Samuel to recognise the voice of God and answer to his appeals. In the same way, we need to be very attentive to discern the voice of God among the several voices which we normally hear. In this process we have been helped by many people and situations. Like Eli, we are invited to be available to help others to discover the will of God to them. Like Samuel, we need to be attentive to the call of the Lord and being generous in our answers to his appeals. Inspired by the word of God and supported with the help of others, our answers to God must be yes always. 

According to Saint Paul, our vocation is to be part of the body of Christ as living temples of God. Through the baptism, God has made us into a dwelling-place for himself. That is the statement of Saint Paul in his letter: “you are temple of God and his Spirit lives in you”. So, as members of the Body of Christ, our identity is to be Church through the communion and participation. The testimony of life and the respect with our physical body contribute to the up-building of this Holy Temple which is all of us. We cannot transform our body in source of pleasure and sin. Everything which we do concerning our body must be for the glory of God. Although the care about the external beauty is good, it cannot prevent us to take special care of the living temple of God within us.  

The gospel speaks about the vocation of the first disciples of Jesus and the people and situations used by God as mediations to reveal his mysteries to the humankind. It is continuity of the text of baptism in which the Father gives testimony about his Son, confirmed his mission as Saviour and inviting all to follow his words.  In the text today, John recognises Jesus who is passing by and points him as “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. The testimony of John motivates others to follow Jesus. John is good example of mediator, who promotes the meeting and disappears with humility. The experience of “come and see” proposed by Jesus transformed the life of the first disciples, making them new witnesses of him in order to motivates others to the discipleship. The first disciples were very attentive to the mediations of God, let themselves be guided, showing availability to follow the Master and remain with him, assimilating his life’s style in order to become witnesses.

Our vocational journey is history of love and can be compared with the calling of Samuel and the first disciples of Jesus. Each day God wakes our ear in order to hear his Words and let ourselves to be transformed by them. He continues speaking to us also through the people and situation of the community. He expects that we may be attentive to this signs and answer to his appeals positively. Like Eli and John the Baptist, we are invited also to contribute in the vocational work in order other people, especially the youth ones, may discover the voice of God that is calling them in their daily life. May we live our vocation with joy and faithfulness, motivating others in their journey as followers of Jesus.

Fr. Ndega

WITO KAMA UZOEFU WA UPENDO

Kutafakari kutoka Sam 3: 3-10; 1Wak 6: 13c-15a.17-20; Yoh 1,35-42

Liturujia ya Jumapili hii inathibitisha kwamba Mungu anaanzisha uhusiano wa upendo na kila mtu, kumwita kwa huduma ya watu wake. Mungu ndiye anayeanza kumwita mtu kwa jina lake mwenyewe, kuthamini historia yake na utambulisho wake. Ingawa Mungu anaweza kufanya kila kitu peke yake, alitaka kututumia kama washirika wake. Hali halisi hii ilihamasisha Mtakatifu Agostina kusema: “Mungu alituumba bila sisi, lakini akataka kutuokoa na ushiriki wetu”. 

Wito wa Samueli, unaosimuliwa katika somo la kwanza, ni mfano kwa wito wote. Mungu anakutana naye katika hali halisi yake na anamwita kwa jina lake. Bila shaka Samueli alihitaji mwendo wa utambuzi ili kufahamu tamani ya Mungu. Kuhani mkuu Eli alikuwa patanishi wa Mungu kusaidia Samueli kutambua sauti ya Mungu na kujibu kwa rufaa zake. Vivyo hivyo, tunahitaji kuwa uangalifu sana kutambua sauti ya Mungu kati ya sauti nyingi ambazo sisi husikia. Katika mwendo huu tumekuwa kusaidiwa na watu wengi na hali halisi nyingi. Kama Eli, tunaalikwa kupatikana kusaidia wengine kugundua mapenzi ya Mungu kwa wao. Kama Samueli, tunahitaji kuwa makini kwa mwito wa Bwana na kuwa ukarimu katika majibu yetu kwa mavutio yake. Tuongozwe na Neno la Mungu na tunaungwa mkono na usaidizi wa wengine, majibu yetu kwa Mungu lazima yawe daima ndiyo. 

Kulingana na Mtakatifu Paulo, wito wetu ni kuwa sehemu ya mwili wa kristu kama hekalu hai la Mungu. Kwa njia ya ubatizo Mungu ametufanya makao yake pekee. Hiyo ni kauli ya Mtakatifu Paulo katika waraka wake: “Ninyi ni hekalu la Mungu na Roho wake anakaa ndani yenu.” Basi, kama sehemu za mwili wa Kristu, utambulisho wetu ni kuwa kanisa kwa njia ya ushirika na ushirikiano. Ushuhuda wa maisha na heshima kwa mwili wetu inachangia kwa kuendeleza kujenga kwa Hekalu hili takatifu ambalo ni sisi sote. Hatuezi kubadili mwili wetu katika chanzo ya radhi na dhambi. Kila kitu ambacho sisi hufanya kuhusu mwili wetu lazima kiwe kwa utukufu wa Mungu. Ingawa utunzaji kuhusu uzuri wa nje wa mwili ni mzuri, hauwezi kutuzuia kuchukua huduma maalum ya hekalu hai la Mungu ndani yetu.

 

Injili inaongea kuhusu wito wa wafuasi wa kwanza wa Yesu na watu na hali zilizotumiwa na Mungu kama  mapatanishi kuwadhihirishia binadamu mafunbo yake. Ni mwendelezo wa andiko la ubatizo ambalo Baba anatoa ushuhuda kumhusu Mwana wake, alithibitisha ujumbe wake kama Mwokozi na kuwaalika wote kuyafuata maneno yake. Katika andiko la leo, Yohana anatambua Yesu ambaye anapita na anamwonyeshea kidole kama “Mwana-kondoo wa Mungu, aondoaye dhambi za dunia”. Ushuhuda wa Yohana unamotisha wengine kumfuata Yesu. Yohana ni mfano mzuri wa mpatanishi, anayekuza mkutano na anatoweka kwa unyenyekevu. Uzoefu wa “Njoni nanyi mtaona” ulioazimiwa na Yesu ulibadilisha maisha ya wanafunzi wa kwanza, kuwafanya mashahidi wapya wake ili kumotisha wengine katika uanafunzi. Wanafunzi wa kwanza walikuwa makini sana na upatanishi wa Mungu, basi wanajiruhusu kuongozwa, kuonyesha upatikanaji kumfuata Mwalimu Mkuu na kubaki naye, kufananisha hali yake ya maisha ili kuwa mashahidi.

Safari yetu ya wito ni historia ya upendo na inaweza kulinganishwa na wito wa Samweli na wanafunzi wa kwanza wa Yesu. Kila siku Mungu anamsha masikio yetu ili yasikie maneno yake na basi sisi wenyewe kugeuzwe nayo. Anaendelea kuzungumza nasi pia kupitia watu na hali ya jumuyia. Anatarajia kwamba tuweze kuwa makini kwa ishara hizi na kujibu mavutio yake kikamilifu. Kama Eli na Yohana Mbatizaji, tunaalikwa pia kuchangia katika kazi ya wito ili watu wengine, hasa vijana, waweze kugundua sauti ya Mungu ambayo inawaita katika maisha yao ya kila siku. tweze kuishi wito wetu kwa furaha na uaminifu, kuwamotisha wengine katika safari yao kama wafuasi wa Yesu.

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick