Samuel does not recognize the voice that calls him as the Lord’s voice. He thinks it is Eli who is calling him. Eli gives some of the best advice that anyone could give: tell the Lord that you are listening. When Samuel gave himself over to listening to the Lord, then he was able to begin his life of prophecy: listening to God so as to be able to share the divine message.
In the Gospel, we see the power of the voice of Our Good Shepherd. He speaks and the body listens and returns to good health. He speaks and the soul is summoned out of the grasp of the evils which bound it. He speaks, and the timid and overlooked persons of the world become bold in following Him and joining in His mission.
So let us turn to the Lord, even if we have misidentified His voice before, let us turn to Him anew in prayer and say with Samuel, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) Then we may hear that voice that has freed the body and soul and futures of so many, and which calls us today.