Repent and believe the Good News. God’s call is mysterious, it comes in the darkness of faith. It is so fine and subtle that it is only with the deepest silence within us that we can hear it. Yet nothing is surer or stronger and nothing is so decisive and overpowering as that call. This call is not interrupted, God is always calling us.
St Mark gives the impression that the call of the first disciples was a very formal event and one that came out of the blue. St John shows us that their relationship with Jesus passed through a stage of growth and development. People don’t just get up and follow a complete stranger. In the Gospels, it is clear that the four, Simon, Andrew, James and John, would have stood in the crowd and listened and been aware of what Christ said and why.
So the four were listening to the invitation from Jesus – it was not a command. It was an invitation to open themselves to find out more of what Christ was talking. The basis of this invitation had echoes of all that Jesus heard in their scriptures and prayers – God creator is proclaiming salvation to and for all people.
The followers of Jesus understood that the call of Jesus was not to be slaves of high and mighty men but to be open to serving all people in simplicity, with the purpose of serving people in the glory of Creator Father God.
Now that the apostles are working with Jesus, they realise that they have a vocation in the serving of the calling of all people in the world.
From the time of our Baptism we are all called to dedicate our lives each in our own way and life. Christ does not call us out of the world but to respond to Christ in the world, whatever our life is about.
There are more ways than one of serving Christ and his Gospel. The call in the first place is for me and you to hear the continuous call of Christ to repent and believe the good news and pass it on.
with love and prayers Fr Michael