Have you ever wondered why you are here on earth? What is your purpose? Who are you, really? What are you to become? Sometimes we go through life without thinking much about such questions, but there comes a time where we would need to take stock of where we came from, where we are now, and where we are going. Life here on earth is short, and it is good for us to be firmly rooted in knowing our purpose and to live life to the fullest.
When we ask such questions about our lives, some of us may begin to think that it is all about doing and doing as much as possible. But Christianity is not just about doing, what is more important is our identity; who we are, so to speak. Therefore, our actions or what we do ought to flow from who we are. And who are we? Today’s second reading gives us the answer: “Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.” We are, as the reading reminds us, not our own property, for we belong to God.
If we realise who we are, then we can begin to understand that Jesus in today’s Gospel was not asking the two disciples what they wanted materially. Instead, He is asking them, and He is asking us too: What do you want to become? Jesus was trying to challenge these first disciples, and us too, to look deeper into our lives and to ask ourselves: Who am I? What is my purpose in this life? What does God want me to become? Thus, we must learn to listen carefully to God’s voice while we pray. We must learn to discern His voice and distinguish His voice from others. We must learn to listen the way Samuel in today’s first reading listened and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Today, Jesus is inviting us to become His followers. Jesus is inviting us to “come and see”, to journey with him, to discover His plan for us, to shoulder His yoke and learn from Him. Let us open our hearts and minds, so that Jesus could transform us and use us for the greater glory of God.