January
22, 2017
3rd Sunday
in Ordinary Time
Isaiah
8:23-9:3; 1 Cor 1:10-13,17; Mt 4:12-23
There is this
story about three classmates who met in a class reunion. One of them became a
doctor and said, “In our town, people call me ‘Monsignor’ because I am a lay
minister.” The second classmate who is a lawyer, bragged: “Well, I’m a
charismatic elder. I give spiritual talks so everybody calls me ‘Cardinal’.”
The third said: “I’m a sales representative going from house to house; I serve
as collector at Mass. People call me ‘GOD.’” “How come people call you God?”
his friends asked. “You see, when I knock on the doors of my customers homes and
they see me,” they say, “My God, my God, you again!”
Today’s gospel
tells us about Jesus calling his first apostles. Many have this idea that the
call of Christ is addressed only to the apostles and their successors: Popes,
bishops, and priests. But that is not true. Every Christian is called by the
Lord to a mission, to be a fisher of man by virtue of his or her baptism. How
are we going to respond to this call?
THE
IDEAL WAY TO RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL IS IMMEDIATELY, UNCONDITIONALLY AND
WHOLEHEARTEDLY. This is how the gospel describes the response of the first four
disciples of Jesus: Simon, Andrew, James the Great (the patron of our parish)
and John. We might be astonished to see how these four men immediately, unconditionally
and wholeheartedly responded to the invitation of Jesus: “Come after me; I will
make you fishers of men.” What is their assurance that the one who called them,
will not fool them? This might be their
first personal encounter with Jesus. It must have been a powerful personal
encounter because they were willing to leave everything – their job, family and
security in life – in order to follow Jesus. If we take look at them again, who
are the ones being called by the Lord?
THE
LORD CALLS THE ORDINARY PEOPLE. There was nothing special in the
first disciples of Jesus. They were ordinary people, ordinary fishermen from an
ordinary town of Galilee. In the first reading, Galilee, Zebulun and Naphtali
were mentioned because these were the towns that were despised and ridiculed by
people. Compared to Jerusalem which is the center of culture and commerce,
Galilee is a place where the uneducated, the poor and the pagans lived. Yet
Jesus personally came to them and invited them. This is something unusual
because during the time of Jesus, the students look for their mentor. But Jesus personally came to them and called
them to be his followers. My brothers and sisters, God’s call is not only for priests
and the religious, God’s call is for each and every one of us. After all, we
priests and religious are also ordinary people.
ORDINARY
PEOPLE LIKE US ARE CALLED BY THE LORD TO CONTINUE THE MISSION OF THE FIRST
DISCIPLES. We are the successors of the
first disciples. Paul tells us in the second reading that the great
evangelizers like Peter, Apollos and Paul himself were once ordinary men. Like
them, we are also sent to spread the good news, to make it known and attract others
to Christ. Not
all of us are called to do it by preaching, but the way how we strive to live
our faith and how we live our lives no matter what profession we are
in, can
attract people
to Christ.
In this mass let
us beg for the grace for a better appreciation of God’s call for us. The Lord
calls ordinary people. He calls each and every one of us to continue the
mission of the first disciples. May we respond to his invitation immediately,
unconditionally, wholeheartedly. Amen.
