Introduction:
During this Year B cycle of the Sunday readings, many of the Gospel readings are taken from the evangelist Mark. The text is frequently vivid, to the point, and reads a little like a modern newspaper account. Mark, as the other evangelists, is not concerned with historical facts in the way we are today. Mark’s focus is on the Kingdom of God, upon the teaching of Jesus and the personal response to be made to the Good News.

The Sundays of Ordinary Time run throughout the Liturgical Year, but will be interrupted by important seasons, Lent, Eastertide, and great feasts like Pentecost. Following on the ‘epiphanies’ of Jesus, his manifestations as Messiah, at the feasts of the Epiphany, and of the Baptism of the Lord, succeeding Sundays in Ordinary time reveal features of the person and role of Jesus - the Lord’s Anointed.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 16th January 2000

Theme: Jesus - calls us to God’s service, “ Come follow me!”

First Book of Samuel 3: 3 -10,19
The young boy Samuel is already dedicated to life in the Temple. But encouraged by the holy man Eli, Samuel responds to the Word of God calling him to a new form of service, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!” As Samuel grows up, “the Lord is with him, and lets no word of his fall to the ground.”

First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 6: 13 - 15, 17 - 20
Paul addresses his words to the people of Corinth, a city state which had a reputation as “Sin City” , but life there was probably no better or worse than any other Mediterranean sea port of the time. But the baptised Christian is to recognise that their “body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” - so the disciple is to stay clear of evil ways, setting an example of wholeness, and put themselves at the service of God and the community.

Gospel according to John 1: 35 - 42
This passage from John’s gospel tells of the call of the first disciples. Meeting Jesus, listening to his words, and having seen what Jesus does for sick and poor, these disciples give up everything, to go abroad to announce the good news to the world and its peoples. Like those first disciples we are invited to know Jesus and to follow him.