4 Adonai called, “Sh’mu’el!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 Then he ran to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me?” But he said, “I didn’t call you; go back, and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Adonai called a second time, “Sh’mu’el!” Sh’mu’el got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Sh’mu’el didn’t yet know Adonai; the word of Adonai had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Adonai called, “Sh’mu’el!” again, a third time. He got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” At last ‘Eli realized it was Adonai calling the child. 9 So ‘Eli said to Sh’mu’el, “Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Adonai; your servant is listening.’ Sh’mu’el went and lay down in his place.
10 Adonai came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: “Sh’mu’el! Sh’mu’el!” Then Sh’mu’el said, “Speak; your servant is listening.”
19 Sh’mu’el kept growing, Adonai was with him, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 All Isra’el from Dan to Be’er-Sheva became aware that Sh’mu’el had been confirmed as a prophet of Adonai.
Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)Revelation of the Lord was uncommon.(1 Samuel 3:1)
Up until the mid-1900s, news was a scarce commodity, and it didn’t travel very fast. For example, when the American colonies declared independence, King George III of England didn’t hear about it for two months! News of the famous “Charge of the Light Brigade,” immortalized by the poet Tennyson, didn’t reach England for nearly a month. But then came the telegraph, the telephone, television, and the Internet. Now almost anyone can get news anytime—including a lot of news that’s unnecessary!
Think of how God communicates with his people. In the time of the Old Testament, he usually spoke through his messengers, the prophets. And so as the writer of 1 Samuel tells us, “revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent” (1 Samuel 3:1). But that changed when Jesus poured out his Spirit on Pentecost. The apostles spread the good news of the gospel throughout the known world in a very short time. Empowered by the Spirit, they became the equivalent of high-speed transmission!
As members of the Church, we have inherited the mission of transmitting the Gospel—and what a revolutionary message it is! We carry the news that death has been vanquished, and that there’s no reason to fear. We are here to let people know that it’s not just the next life, but this life, that can be transformed through the power of Christ.
The call to evangelize may seem intimidating, especially if you think it’s all up to you. But you aren’t responsible for converting someone else—just for giving what you have. Today, think about one person you know who needs to know Jesus. Pray about one action you can take that will witness God’s love to that person. Perhaps you’ve known someone for years but have never shared your story. Or perhaps you’ve just met someone who is clearly in need of prayer. Take that one step of faith, and see how far the Spirit will carry it. You can become proof that revelation of the Lord is no longer “uncommon”!
“Lord, who needs to hear of your life-saving mercy? How can I share your news with that person? Help me to plant just one seed of love in someone’s life today.” Amen!
Psalm 40:2 (1) I waited patiently for Adonai,
till he turned toward me and heard my cry.
5 (4) How blessed the man who trusts in Adonai
and does not look to the arrogant
or to those who rely on things that are false.
7 (6) Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want;
burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand.
Instead, you have given me open ears;
8 (7) so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming!
In the scroll of a book it is written about me.
9 (8) Doing your will, my God, is my joy;
your Torah is in my inmost being.
10 (9) I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, Adonai, as you know.
Mark 1:29 They left the synagogue and went with Ya‘akov and Yochanan to the home of Shim‘on and Andrew. 30 Shim‘on’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, and they told Yeshua about her. 31 He came, took her by the hand and lifted her onto her feet. The fever left her, and she began helping them.
32 That evening after sundown, they brought to Yeshua all who were ill or held in the power of demons, 33 and the whole town came crowding around the door. 34 He healed many who were ill with various diseases and expelled many demons, but he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Yeshua got up, left, went away to a lonely spot and stayed there praying. 36 But Shim‘on and those with him went after him; 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let’s go somewhere else — to the other villages around here. I have to proclaim the message there too — in fact this is why I came out.” 39 So he traveled all through the Galil, preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.
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