Third Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle B

Click here to look at the readings for this Sunday

 

In this Sunday's gospel we hear that Christ calls his Apostles.  

It is somewhat amazing that James and John, when they are told to "Follow me", leave the task they are working on, and immediately follow the Lord.

Isn't it difficult, at times, to immediately leave what we are doing to follow the Lord?  We know that we were called by name in our Baptism.  We are to follow the Lord everyday and to make God present for others.  That is a part of our call to show compassion, mercy, forgiveness, helpfulness, etc.

When another person or event calls us to make God present, to "Follow the Lord", it is so easy to say, "Not right now; maybe later.  What I am doing now is more important.  I don't know that person."

We all know the story of Jonah and the big fish.  The book of Jonah was not a historical account of the life and preaching of a prophet called Jonah who lived in the eighth century BC.  This book was written after the return from exile of Babylon.  It is a sermon in the form of a story and the theme of the sermon is that Yahweh is the God for all nations, not just for the Jews.  

The story was told because the Jews that had returned from exile refused to go out and take God to others.  They believed God was only for them.  That is the main reason Jonah tried to refuse to go on the mission God was sending him.  And we know what happened.

In spite of his rejecting the idea of going to pagans, God sent him.

And when the pagans heard about God, they changed.  

Jonah had to change his ideas about who God was for and who God cared for and loved and wanted to have eternal life; all people.

For all of us it is so easy to profile a person and decide to whom will I make God's mercy, compassion, forgiveness, etc. present.  

If He sends me to a difficult person or situation or relationship, how easy it is to make an excuse.  

They won't listen to me

I am not a priest

What could I possible say or do to help

Right now is not a good time.

Let someone else do it.

The problem is that God has placed you and me with that difficult person or difficult situation.  It is exactly here where we have been called to "Follow me", to make God present.

In St. Paul's letter, he strongly states to be ready for the coming of the Lord.  For sure that will happen at the end of time, at our death, and in fact everyday.  Are you ready to follow the Lord today?

To make Him present to others, not just in words, but more importantly in our actions.  

Paul encourages the Corinthian to be ready for the coming of the Lord and that same encouragement is made to you and me for this very day, and for the days to come.

"Follow me!"

Be ready, for we will be called to follow and to make God present to others.  

It will happen everyday.

 Pray for yourself to be ready.