January 22, 2012: Third Week after the Epiphany
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm 62: 6-14
1 Corinthians 7: 29-31
Mark 1:14-20
I read accounts like Mark 1: 14-20 and am incredulous that Simon, Andrew, James and John can decide so quickly to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. My own feeble attempts to follow what I perceive as God’s call to me are much more slow and halfhearted than are the fishermen in this gospel. My task, however, is not to be overly impatient with my meager response to God’s invitations to me, for that puts the focus and attention on my own shortcomings and less on God’s grace. My task is to continue to look to God for the courage and strength to follow God, for it is only by allowing God’s transformative love to invigorate me that I am able to do what I am called by God to do.
So true. Thank you. And who knows how many encounters these 4 had with this Jesus before they were called to another level of commitment! Most likely, they had seen and heard Jesus enough to be attracted; He saw into their hearts, desires, possibilities – then called!