The first reading, well known with the Christians, prepares us to meet with Jesus in the right way, worthy of Him and fruitful for us. Of this encounter speak the Gospel in a calm and simple way, and the second reading open infront of us a way that help us to understand that in knowing Jesus shows itself in our lives!

Samuel is just a kid. But even though he is young, God sees that he is "able" to listen, and hence He speaks to him. Even though he is a kid, God wants to respect his free will! In fact He calls him without letting him know who is the one who was calling. Thus God puts to test his obedience! He calls him at night, thus puts to test his generosity and disponibility! He calls him various times, thus puts to test his constancy and fidelity. He calls using a human him voice of man, thus puts to test his humility. The kid is ready, available, is "able" to listen to the voice of God!

Why God speaks to who is "able" to listen? God wants to speak to all of course, but His word is to be comunicated to those who accept it, make them it theirs, almost "incarnate" it! These can be also children, weak persons, without any particular qualifications that give man pride. They need to be able to listen for God doesn’t want to communicate important messages for His people in void.

Jesus follows the way of God. He sees the two disciples of John following Him. He asks them: "What are you looking for?", as if to help them see for themselves what were they looking for; richness, ambitions or satisfactions for themselves, or a person to love and serve! He wanted to see whether they were moved by egoism or love. He doesn’t consider them yet as disciples: first they needed to "see" where He lives, needed to understand His poverty, His detachment from everything, of His decision to live only by God and only for Him!

The two disciples are obbident to John, their first teacher, who showed Jesus as the Lamb of God, and hence they stay with Jesus without expressing needs or claim any rights. We can take their example of how they trusted Jesus and their generosity in helping others to do likewise. Andrew "took to Jesus" his brother Simon, showing him that faith that matured in his heart.

Jesus value what Andrew did and value the obedience of Simon up to the point that He gives him a new name. A new name meant a new way of being, of presenting oneself, a new life. Being with Jesus, Simon needed to feel like a new born, that needs to learn everything: to walk, talk, eat, pray! The name given to Simon by Jesus is a strong name: "Peter"! He needs to be with Jesus more to become what Jesus meant him to be when He gave him that name!

We too, who have adored Jesus in His coming amongst us, who have rejoiced seeing Him a babe in His Mother’s arms, now we need and want to follow Him. This means that we are to feel the need of a new life. Perhaps it’s been years since we try to learn from Jesus, but as if we start always all over again. He Himself wants us to become always like children, humble enough to accept still to be taught, corrected, shown the way. Today we receive some from st. Paul’s attention.

The apostle suggest to us the way to consider our life starting with our body. It is not to be dispised, not to be underestimated, not to be lord, not to be a slave. It is destined to give God glory! Our body is the right place for the Holy Spirit, the place where love and the light of the Father can live and from whom be manifested. St. Paul tells us therefore, not to use our body for fornication, for impure sexuality, for egoistic pleasures, and hence harm ourselves and others. Our body was ransomed by Jesus when He died for our salvation. We are to commit ourselves so that our physical life, our energies, our time, serv for His reign, be instruments of His love, of His will to reach all and be known by all, so that all have peace and salvation! Our body is to be ready saying: "Here am I, ready to do your will!"