January 10th, 2004, Wednesday of the first week in ordinary time.

A reading from the first book of Samuel.

During the time, young Samuel was ministered to the Lord under Eli,

a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent.

One day, Eli was asleep in his usual place.

His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.

The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,

and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the Ark of God was.

The Lord called to Samuel, who answered,

Here I am. Samuel ran to Eli and said,

Here I am, you called me. I did not call you, Eli said. Go back to sleep. So he went back to sleep.

Again, the Lord called Samuel who rose and went to Eli. Here I am, he said. You called me.

But Eli answered, I did not call you, "'Here I am,' he said. "'You called me.' But Eli answered,

"'I did not call you, my son.

Go back to sleep.'

At that time, Samuel was not familiar with the Lord,

because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.

The Lord called Samuel again for the third time.

Getting up and going to Eli, he said,

Here I am, you called me.

Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the youth.

So Eli said to Samuel, go to sleep.

...