Today, we are called to begin to follow Jesus as he starts his apostolic life in Northern Palestine. He comes as the fulfillment of God’s promises to be the light of the world and the liberator of mankind. His call to conversion and the invitation to welcome God’s kingdom and follow him, which resounded along the shores of the Sea of Galilee more than two thousand years ago, reaches us to-day, as urgent as ever. The Kingdom of God becomes especially present in the Eucharistic celebration. Let us open our hearts in the welcome that we may experience its liberating effect in ourselves and become instruments of its growth in our society. There are moments in life when something unexpected happens which makes all the difference. It happens to us. It happens in us. These are events that change the course of our life, often in a radical manner. Such was the case of the four fishermen: Simon and Andrew, James and John. Come after me! said Jesus, and immediately they abandoned their boats, their nets, their crew, their relatives and became his followers – the first recruits of a peaceful army tasked to conquer the world. An unexpected invitation, a prompt response, an immediate departure for an unknown destination. Four hearts were set aflame. Four lives would never be the same again. Something similar had happened to Abram and Elisha many centuries earlier. What impelled Simon, Andrew, James, and John to leave everything behind and follow Jesus? There was his promise, of course, that he would make them “fishers of men.” An intriguing prospect, whatever those words could mean. But what moved those four fishermen to be so radical in their response was the fascinating personality of the Caller: JESUS. They saw him, they heard him, and they made up their minds. Their hearts had been conquered by him. It was like falling in love when everybody else in the world seems to vanish from sight or become unattractive, and all that remains and counts is just “the beloved one.” You and I are part of the crowd. Jesus passes by, a man among men, but with a heart trained to love the way God does. He may chance upon you and me and pronounce our name the way no mere man can do, or make promises that sound like riddles. When that happens, we should remember the four fishermen from Galilee and how they answered Jesus’ invitation.
HOLY SPIRIT: INSPIRE US
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