Monday of
the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
January 13, 2014 8:30am
In today’s gospel Jesus calls the
first disciples, in fact, the first four apostles.
There are four things we can note
here.
First, we notice what these men
are: they are fishermen.
They are ordinary people – not
wealthy, powerful, or well-known, but ordinary, everyday persons.
So, the message is that God takes
us as we are and can produce the extraordinary out of the ordinary.
Or we might say: the ordinary can
do the extraordinary with Jesus.
Second, we notice what they are
doing: they are fishing or tending their nets.
So God is involved with us not
just in church and not just when we are praying.
God also is also involved with us
right in everyday work.
Whatever we do, we can try to
make our everyday work an occasion where God and the way of Jesus can merge.
Third, we notice how Jesus calls
these first apostles: he says “Follow
me.”
He begins by drawing them into a
relationship with him and does not propose a list of truths or a creed or theological
points or anything like that.
It is the relationship that comes
first.
One contemporary author says that
usually we live our way into a new way of thinking, instead of thinking our way
into a new way of living.
Jesus here is calling these first
disciples to follow and live with him and only later would they live their way
into a new way of thinking and believing.
And fourth, we note what Jesus
offers them.
He offers them a task, work,
service.
Most of us deep down really want
something to which to give ourselves and our lives.
Jesus understood this and that is
what he offers these first disciples.
So, the calling of these first
four apostles is filled with spiritual richness for us this morning.
