THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - A

JESUS’ MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

Today we see Jesus doing the task closest to his heart. No, not healing the sick, not preaching, not performing miracles – although these are essential to his mission too – but simply going around town calling people.  Simply calling them - not issuing a command, nor releasing an order, nor promulgating a decree.  Here, Jesus sincerely and simply looks at a person, maybe taps his shoulder and urges him to “Follow me” (Mt 4:19).

The first disciples the Lord approached and the first ones to heed his invitation were Peter, Andrew, James and John.  We know them today as big shots of our faith, the first apostles, great missionaries, saints and of course, early bishops of our Christian Church.  Lest we be tempted to think that Jesus selected only the illustrious members of his team, we must realize that he did not stop with these men or with the 12 apostles who were his intimate band of brothers.

As he called them, he called others too.  As he called them, he used them to call others in turn. So the invitation had a ripple effect.  It did not stop right there. The summons to follow Jesus continued on and happily continues today.  The Lord called us when we were baptized and even now as we celebrate the Eucharist, he calls us by name and encourages us to keep walking with him, journeying with him, following him.

It feels so great to hear Jesus calling us today as he called his first apostles. Since they were fishermen, he called them to be “fishers of men.” He gave them a mission close to their occupation, easy for them to understand. I like to think that today, the Lord Jesus calls some of us to be “teachers of men and women,” “mother and fathers of men and women,” “drivers of men and women,” “sales ladies of men and women,” “call center agents of men and women,” etc.

Knowing where we are, he gives us a vocation that is right for us and close to what we are already doing. Of course, some he calls for radical change of lifestyle and mission as he does with those he calls for priestly and religious vocations.

This year is the Year of the Laity. We focus our attention on the baptized who are present not in sacristies and convents as priests and nuns, but as active Christians in the homes, workplaces and in secular settings. The laity are invited to fill the world with the presence of Christ in ordinary and daily tasks.

Pope Francis adds a twist to our calling.  He says we are not mere disciples but “missionary disciples.” Isn’t that what the Lord just did in the gospel today? He called his friends to himself but only for the purpose of sending them later to serve others. 

Let us listen to Jesus calling us by name, leading us by the hand, urging us to follow him so that each day we can continue to devote ourselves to the men and women we meet and encounter. May we be faithful “missionary disciples” in our unique situation and in our personal vocations.