Tom Thomas –
The Sunday morning Mass was crowded, and the pews were overflowing. It was heartening to see the Church full, back almost to the pre-COVID levels. The low air circulation level and the requirement to keep a mask on at all times made me a bit sleepy, I must confess, during the Mass.
Something the Priest said during the Homily made me wake up. It was a reflection on Lk 10:38-42, of the Sixteenth Sunday. The preacher highlighted especially the line where the Lord says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” The Preacher was stressing about the name being called twice, something I struggle with all my life, as my surname and first name are the same!
Is there a significance in being called twice by the Lord? Martha is not the only person the Lord has called twice. Let us take a look at other such instances in the Bible:
Abraham:
“Abraham! Abraham!” Gen 22:11-13
As Abraham was about to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on Mount Moriah, God stopped him at the last moment, by the call of the angel of the Lord. God saw the faithfulness of Abraham and established a covenant through which Abraham became the Father of many nations.
Jacob
“Jacob, Jacob” Gen 46:1-4
When Jacob was in his old age and was preparing to see his son Joseph taken from him for so many years, the Lord tells Jacob not to be afraid. He will not only see Joseph but also his descendants would become a great nation in the foreign land.
Moses
“Moses, Moses!” Ex 3: 1-10
At the Burning Bush, Moses was given his Mission for his life, to liberate the Israelites from bondage in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land.
Samuel
“Samuel! Samuel!” 1 Sam 3:1-10
The Lord calls out to the boy Samuel as he sleeps in the temple at night. Samuel does not recognize this call as coming from the Lord. Eli, the priest, instructs Samuel on what to say when the Lord calls again.
Simon
“Simon, Simon!” Lk 22:31-32
Here the Lord tells Peter (addressing him by his birth name Simon)that He has prayed that Satan would not have Simon, and in fact Simon would emerge from the trial after denying Jesus , strengthened to inspire his brothers. We know that Peter became the Rock on which the Church was to be built.
Saul
“Saul! Saul!” Acts 9:4
The transformation of Saul to Paul on the way to Damascus remains one of the most dramatic turnarounds in life. The persecutor of Christians was transformed into one of the greatest evangelists and Apostles writing to the churches he established on his missionary journeys, almost one-third of the New Testament.
Therefore, we see that seven people had the privilege of the Lord calling their names twice in the Bible. Maybe this indicated the extraordinary closeness of the Lord with these seven.
What would have happened to our history, one wonders, if any of these called twice had not heard the call? The call of the Lord, twice, indicates the closeness or the intimacy of the Lord with them. Just like I, as a parent, call out to my child when I want them to heed me. When they are small, they will immediately heed my call. As they get older, however, the call of mine gets submerged with other calls they hear. They sometimes find it hard to hear me and I need to call out to them twice or maybe even thrice to get their attention. Sometimes they even tell me, “I need some space for a while, I will come back.” I have to learn to let go those times and wait for them to come back as my Father waits for me to come back. He calls me always- once, twice, umpteen times. His love for us makes Him call us multiple times. That is how deep, wide and high His mercies are.
Do I hear Him and respond to His plans for me? Only by hearing Him and obeying him, will I achieve my true potential as Saul, Simon, Jacob, Samuel, Moses, Abraham and Martha did. I presume the double or the two-fold call, shows me how endearingly loved I am!
PostScript
While this article focuses was on those that the Lord calls twice in the Bible, it is also noteworthy to read the following:
Jerusalem
“Jersusalem, Jerusalem” Mt 23:37 & Lk 13:34
This is the only city in the Bible referred to twice. Jesus weeps for the city as it has turned away from being His Holy city to a wicked one.
Lord
“Lord, Lord” Mt 7:21-22, 25-11, Lk 6:46
Here Jesus says that though many call on the name of the Lord, they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven as they are only giving Him lip service, instead of doing His will and loving Him with all their heart.
Eloi
“Eloi, Eloi” Mt 27:46. Mk 15:34
The last few moments of Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross where He quotes from Ps 22:1 remain one of the poignant scenes in the Bible.
Let us ponder upon these passages and how the different people heard the call of the Lord (even though He sometimes had to call them twice!) in their lives, and what they did after hearing that call. Through a closer study and reflection on these scripture verses, we will also understand Him and His Call to us just as the great Saints did, who went before us. We can then re-orient our lives towards Him. St Francis of Assisi remains one of the finest examples of this type of transition from being a man seeking worldly treasures to a man who found Him in the Scriptures and immediately and wholeheartedly embraced Lady Poverty, jettisoning his past life completely.
“.. I have called you by name, you are mine.” Is 43:1