Jonah 3: 1-5.10;
Psalm 25:4-5ab.6;
1 Corinthians 7:29-31;
Mark 1:14-20 Full Readings
Saint Francis de SalesAnswering the Call of Christ
Brethren, the gospel of today tells us what should characterise our answer to the call of Christ: immediacy, generosity and a determination to change our life. The first reading links up with this not so much through the example of Jonah, but through the example of the people of Nineveh who respond positively when called upon to repent. The second reading stresses that we have very little time at our disposal and we need to use it well. Our life is precious and we cannot run the risk of spoiling it by rejecting Christ when he calls us. We need answer the call of Jesus with immediacy, there is no more time to wait.
On this third Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical Year, the readings teach us that once we are ready and willing to repent of our sinful ways, God is ready to forgive us. People of Nineveh repented of their sinful lives and as a sign of their repentance they put on sack clothes and fasted. The Lord saw their repentance and showed his great mercy towards them. Jesus also began his ministry by calling us to repentance as we see in the Gospel today. Therefore, when Jesus calls us to assist in spreading the kingdom of God on earth by bringing others into the fold, we should not allow for any hindrance. We should be fully detached from everything that hinders us from working for the kingdom of God just like Peter, Andrew, James and John who left everything in order to follow Jesus when he called them to follow him to make them fishers of people.
Repentance means to change - to change my way of thinking, my attitude, disposition, and life choices so that Christ can be the Lord and Master of my heart rather than sin, selfishness, and greed. If we are only sorry for the consequences of our sins, we will very likely keep repeating the sin that is mastering us. True repentance requires a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) and sorrow for sin and a firm resolution to avoid it in the future. The Lord Jesus gives us grace to see sin for what it really is - a rejection of his love and wisdom for our lives and a refusal to do what is good and in accord with his will. His grace brings pardon and help for turning away from everything that would keep us from his love and truth.
To believe is to take Jesus at his word and to recognize that God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to free us from bondage to sin and harmful desires. God made the supreme sacrifice of his Son on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with himself. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Do you believe that the gospel -the good news of Jesus - has power to free you from bondage to sin and fear?
Brethren, like the fishermen - we are called to gather in people for the kingdom of Christ. When Jesus preached the gospel message he called others to follow as his disciples and he gave them a mission - "to catch people for the kingdom of God." What kind of disciples did he choose? Smelly fishermen! In the choice of the first apostles we see a characteristic feature of Jesus' work: he chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these individuals, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power.
When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think we have nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe that God wants to work in and through you for his glory despite whom you are?
Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles says, But thanks be to God, who in Christ Jesus always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15). Do you witness to those around you the joy of the Gospel and do you pray for your neighbors, co-workers, and relatives that they may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of his love?
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, you have called me personally by name, just as you called your first disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Help me to believe your word and follow you faithfully. Fill me with the joy of the gospel that your light may shine through me to many others.
Be blessed
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