Your Call - Homily Reflection - 3rd Sunday OTB

 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012124.cfm

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen

This is Word of God Sunday. All of us are called to share the word of God, but how are we doing it.

When young, we all dream of what we are going to do when we grow up. My 5 years old grandson will tell you he wants to build things.

In everyday life, a person may be called to health care, emergency response, educators, engineers/builders, business people, farmers or just good parents. No matter if they are called to be astronauts or garbage men, in all aspect of life people make an impact on the people and place around them.

Some hear a call to be clergy, religious, and priests going where God sends them to bring Gods message. Even though, they know God is calling, some go where God sends them hesitantly.

That is true even of God’s chosen prophets. Moses said, “I too old, look at my history, and this is too big a job.”  Isaiah said, “I am a man of unclean lips and unclean people. “ Amos told God, “I am just a farmer. I tend herds and maintain the crops.”  Jerimiah protested, “I’m too young. I can’t speak well” And, even “Lord you tricked me.”

When God calls, we face a crossroad in life. Yet a response to God is a response. The response may be to ignore God and continue as if God does not really matter, or does not really care. Maybe, the response is to believe God does not really exist at all.

The other road is to open yourself to God and respond to the call with a willingness to trust and obey.  If you do this, one leaves their old life behind for a new life. You will not be who you were before. You will be a new person in God and for God.

Even though the Lord calls us to follow him, it is not always an easy road.

God called Jonah and told him to bring a message to the people of Nineveh.  However, Jonah did not like the people of Nineveh.  Nineveh was the Capital of Assyria; the country had recently conquered Israel.

Jonah was at a cross roads in life and had to make a choice. Jonah’s choice was to run away from God.

We know the story. He got on a boat. A storm came up. He told everybody it might be his fault since he was running from God. The crew got scared and threw him overboard. Swallowed by the great fish, a whale, he was in its belly for 3 days.

A person cannot get away from God; even in the belly of a great fish. God saved him making the fish spit him out on the shore near Nineveh. God told him bring my word to the people of Nineveh.

Jonah did as God commanded.  He did it hesitantly. He drug his feet. Nineveh was a great city that took 3 days to walk across. Jonah only made one.

God’s message was heard. The people believed and repented. They responded to God’s word with a willingness to trust and obey. In obedience to God, they repented of their former ways and became a people that was different from the people they had been. The city became a different city and place from the one it had been.

In the Gospel - Andrew and Simon, as well as the sons of Zebedee, James and John, are called by Jesus to “change their ways.” Their ways were not necessarily bad. They heard his words “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

They abandoned their nets. Left their boats and families. Almost impulsively, followed Jesus.

It seems an unlikely choice to call these simple fishermen. However, responding to Jesus’ words with trust and obedience, they ceased to be what they were— they became very different people from the people they had been.

Jesus left them the fire of the Holy Spirit. He told them to bring the gospel to the whole world. The people they shared the Word with became different people. The cities and places they visited became different cities and places from the ones they had been.

Friends, Jesus’ call to bring the word of God to all the world was not just for Simon, Andrew, James, and John, but for us as well.

You can ignore the call and continue as if God does not really matter; or does not really care; or does not really exist.  Or, you can respond with love that is a willingness to trust and obey. 

Responding to Jesus’ words with trust and obedience, we become new creations. Grace allows us to turn our life completely to God. To realize the call is to bring the good news of Jesus Christ that can change the people and places around us, and the world.

Be good be holy and preach the gospel in the way you are call to in the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.