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.
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