People often ask sisters, priests and religious brothers how they knew they had a vocation to priesthood or religious life. They usually seem to expect to be told about hearing a voice, and can be a bit disappointed if "hearing a voice" does not feature in the answer. After all, the very word "vocation" means a "calling", which seems to imply a voice being heard. But "calling" applies to many other ways of life as well, the call is not necessarily the sound of a human voice, and there is no limit to God's ways of making Himself known. In the bible, one of the clearest examples of hearing a voice calling is that of the boy Samuel (today's first reading). Samuel was already special, the longed-for, unexpected but promised son his mother had so intensely prayed for. And he had been dedicated to the service of the Lord. Samuel did hear his name being called, but thought it was the voice of his old master, Eli the priest, calling him. Three times this happened, until Eli realised that it was the Lord's voice calling Samuel. He told Samuel to say, next time he heard the voice, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening". The bible also notes that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread", and that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. Today we cannot use those "reasons" as a justification for not hearing and listening. In prayer and in living, let's try to hear and listen more sensitively for the Lord. And with Samuel, pray wholeheartedly: