13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
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FOLLOWING GOD RIGHT
WHERE YOU ARE
Most of the time, our idea of
God’s call and of following him borders on the dramatic and adventurous. This was so true for the disciples of
Jesus whom he called to abandon everything to follow him. They were to be
unsure of many things (Lk. 9:58), to be totally detached from those they loved
(v. 60), and never entertain the thought of returning home (v. 62 ).
That is still true for many
people. Jesus calls people to
follow him in special missions of love and compassion around the world. It
takes great generosity. But it also takes great grace for this to happen. This
is not somehitng one can do alone or by human powers only.
What many of us fail to realize
is that this call to follow the Lord is not about mission work or full-time
ministry or consecration. Jesus is above all, inviting us to follow God’s will
in our lives. At times the setting is far from dramatic, ecstatic or
adventurous. Simply, the Lord calls us to follow the will of God right where we
are, and just as we are.
At work, he calls us to value our
contribution to the company. In our families he calls us to be more real as
dads, moms and children, serious in investing more love, patience, forgiveness
and sacrifice. In our neighborhoods, God asks us to share a ready smile and an
outstretched hand. It may be God’s will to show kindness to a person through a
simple text message or a positive remark on FB.
Though simple, following God’s
will can be even greater and nobler than preaching the gospel overseas. A sick
person follows the Lord by befriending his illness and offering his pain to God
for others. A grieving person fulfills his mission by struggling to move on
through the tears. A person with a large cross to carry follows the Lord by
being kind and compassionate even as he has been dealt painful blows by others.
Let us pray for the grace to
follow God’s will for our lives today and everyday, in the simple tasks before,
and in the way that suits our situation in life.
