The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

January 2000

These words begin a story of a man named Robert Aldridge. He had been an engineer and designer of the Poseidon missile aboard US Polaris submarine. He was also involved in planning the new Trident missiles. He worked for one of the leading arms manufacturers. One evening at dinner his daughter commented on the student protests of the 1960’s that they were watching on the TV. She turned to her father and said, "One day they will protest your work." With that comment from his daughter, Robert Aldridge began a journey of listening to those things that challenged him. He describes another experience in this way:

I had engaged one of my colleagues in a philosophical discussion of religion and its meaning in daily life. He asked: "What do you think God wants you to do most of all?" "Just what I am doing," I responded spontaneously, "to help build this missile to protect our country."

He commented that I was fortunate in my conviction and the conversation died. But that dialogue continued to make me think, I went back to it again and again and asked questions of it often. I asked myself was he struggling with himself? Or was it just a casual question with anoffhand response? Whatever, it disturbed me. But I had not yet learned to listen when disturbed.

"I had not learned to listen when disturbed." Samuel the prophet, as a young man hears a voice calling to him. He does not recognize it and goes to Eli to ask him if he called him. Eli says no, he dismisses it as probably a dream or imagination run wild. But this happened a few times. Eli finally helps Samuel to understand that this may be God’s own voice calling Samuel to a mission in life. Once he understands this he says, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening.

Listening to God can be a difficult thing for us human beings. As religious people we look for signs of God, we want to hear God speaking to us, directing us and making things clearer. We want to know this God tends to each of us and is concerned for the direction and purpose of our lives. We see this in John’s gospel—John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to Jesus. They want to know who Jesus is, what does he mean for them and others. Jesus’ response, "Come and see." Another way to put that would be to follow, respond to the call to be a disciple! Our response to Christ like that of Andrew will lead us to bring others to the Lord. And as we see with Peter, Jesus turns to him and changes his name to Cephas, rock. Peter will have a new mission in life directed by the Lord—he will be the leader of the 12.

This is typical of the Scripture. A change of name points to a change in one’s life mission, or the revelation of one’s true mission in life. This mission a person has been given can only be effectuated by listening to the Lord’s voice. To hear of course one has to have the ears to know what one is hearing and whose voice it is one is listening to. That is the lesson from Samuel and it is one the disciples learned in the company of the Lord.

As followers of Jesus our ears can hear God’s voice. We cultivate this capacity to hear God’s voice in a life of worship we find in prayer, embodiment of our Christian commitment in compassion and working for a more just and peaceful world. Recently, the Archdiocese launched a process to bring Catholics into the activity of Parish Social Ministry. This process is designed to enflesh our response to the call of Christ, but also to give us sharper ears to hear the Lord’s voice, in actions for justice and peace. Some of these actions may be on a grand scale, some rather modest. No matter, a response to the Lord’s voice in addressing any such concern sharpens our hearing and in responding we find out who and where Jesus is. We then affirm Paul’s preaching that we are to "glorify God in our bodies."

Robert Aldridge tried to do that as best he could. Eventually, he left his 6-figure salary job and began a life dedicated to eliminate the very systems he helped to design. He ears became sharper, he believed he heard the Lord’s voice calling him away from building instruments of death. He discovered a new way to live and discovered that intimate relationship with the Lord that all human being desire deep within. This was very risky. He has 10 children. But his family stood four square behind him. God’s voice does come in many packages doesn’t it? It comes in conversations that challenge, comfort and encourage us. It comes in the support that others give us. It comes in a series of reinforcing events and in Word and Sacrament. God is addressing each of us, calling us by name and drawing us to a mission in life. We won’t always know the exact contours of our mission, but we are called to "go and see." Be attentive, be prayerful, and seek counsel and respond. Robert Aldridge tried to do that. He wrote to friend about his response I these words:

The way is still foggy but, as I told my colleges many years ago, I am doing what I think God wants me to do. We are relying on faith—a faith in ourselves and what we believe and a faith that God is moving us as long as we, in our free will, respond.

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded January 14, 2000