Help us to hear the call of Christ the King

Today is the last Sunday in the Church’s liturgical year, the festival of Christ the King. Next week the whole cycle starts again with Advent Sunday. But I don’t really want to focus on that in my reflection for today’s Collect. Instead, I want to think about hearing the call of Christ.

When I read this phrase, “Help us to hear the call of Christ the King”, I immediately think about one of my favourite Old Testament stories: that of the call of Samuel — 1 Samuel 3. This is arguably one of the better-known stories in the Old Testament.

Samuel was serving in the Temple in the time of Eli. He was confused when he heard God calling him, thinking it was the aged and frail Eli. Twice he ran to Eli on hearing God’s call in the night, before Eli realized that it was God himself calling Samuel. The third time he heard the call he followed Eli’s advice and answered God.

It’s a lovely story, with the frail old mentor guiding the young and willing Samuel to hear and understand that it was God calling him to his service.

If only we all had an Eli around to help and guide us. Discerning Christ’s call on our lives can be such a difficult process. And so, because we don’t have Eli sleeping in the next room to us, we turn to prayer.

When we pray for guidance, though, we need to remember to listen for an answer. It’s all too easy to find ourselves praying a shopping list and leaving no space to hear an answer. I catch myself doing it much more than I would really want too, and am sure there are many occasions I don’t even realize that’s what I’ve done. By allowing space to hear an answer we may just hear the call of Christ, and then be able to follow in his service, no matter what else is happening in our lives at the time.

God the Father,
help us to hear the call of Christ the King
and to follow in his service,
whose kingdom has no end;
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, one glory.

Additional Collect for Christ the King
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council