Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

“God Is Speaking — Are We Listening?”

One of the quiet themes running through today’s readings is this:
God is speaking — the real question is whether we’re listening.

In the first reading we meet young Samuel. He’s sleeping in the temple, right where he’s supposed to be, close to the ark of the Lord. And yet when God calls him in the night, he doesn’t recognize the voice. He assumes it must be Eli.

And honestly, that feels pretty familiar. God often speaks quietly, persistently — not dramatically — and it’s easy to misinterpret His voice or miss it altogether. Especially when we’re tired. Or busy. Or convinced we already know what He’s going to say.

What makes the difference for Samuel is that he has someone to help him listen. Eli doesn’t get it right away either, but eventually he realizes what’s happening and tells Samuel, “If He calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”

That posture — listening instead of reacting — is what allows Samuel to grow into a prophet. The reading says something striking: not one of his words fell to the ground. In other words, Samuel didn’t speak on his own authority. He spoke what God gave him, and it bore fruit.

Then we turn to the Gospel, and we see that same rhythm in the life of Jesus.

It’s been a long day. Jesus has healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and by evening the whole town is gathered at the door. People are being cured, demons are being driven out. By any measure, it’s a successful ministry moment.

And yet, before dawn, Jesus gets up and slips away to a deserted place to pray.

That detail matters. Jesus doesn’t pray because He has spare time. He prays because that’s where He listens to the Father. And when the disciples finally find Him and say, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus doesn’t go back. He says, “Let us go on to the nearby villages.”

That decision is born in prayer. He’s not driven by popularity or expectations. He’s guided by what He has heard from the Father.

Saint John Chrysostom once said, “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry.” It’s where clarity comes. Direction. Peace. That’s exactly what Jesus finds in those early morning hours.

For those of you who come to daily Mass, this is an important moment to pause. You’re already making space for God every day — and that’s no small thing. But the readings gently challenge us to ask: when we pray, are we mostly talking… or are we listening?

It’s easy for prayer to become a list. Or a habit. Or something we rush through. Samuel reminds us that sometimes the holiest prayer is simply:
Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.

And Jesus shows us what happens when we truly listen — we rise from prayer knowing where we’re being sent, even when that means moving on, letting go, or stepping into something new.

So today, maybe that’s all we need to do.
Stay close to the Lord long enough to recognize His voice —
and trust that what He says will lead us exactly where we need to go.