How would You Answer Christ‘s Call,
A Reflection for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time,
2017
January 22, 2017
BY Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM
Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
Reformed Catholic Church
Based on Readings from Isaiah 8:23 - 9:3, 1
Corinthians 1:10 - 17,& Matthew 4:12 - 23
The Gospel for
today is the story of Christ calling the first apostles to follow him and how
they dropped everything on the spot to do so.
It had me
wonder on how I, or anyone in this the twenty first Century would respond to
Christ’s call and what was it about Christ that common men left everything to
follow a very poor carpenter.
The same might
also be asked about why so many, 5000 in a very short space of time, choose to
follow our Seraphic Father Francis of Assisi when many of his towns people
considered him crazy, just as many considered Christ crazy.
The Gospel
story tells us ;“From that moment, Jesus began his preaching with the
message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand’. …‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of
men’…
If you lived at that time or in fact even today,and heard someone
saying He would make them “Fishers of Men” what would you think?
Probably the same thing that people thought in both Christ’s and Saint
Francis time, this person is a lunatic.
One thing I do know is that today, vocations to religious life are way
down from when I was a child. In most Catholic families, mothers all prayed
that one of their sons might aspire to be called to the priesthood or a
daughter to be a nun. Today, sadly, that kind of thinking is the furthest ffrom
most parents thinking.
Sadly, even when someone does come forward seeking to be a member of
our Franciscan community or feels they are being called by God to be a deacon
or a priest, they do not want to put in the time and the effort required in
studying that is required in order for them to achieve their perceived
vocation.
It is like many things in our society, we seek instant gratification
and that is not always the best or even most enjoyable and pleasant.
Repeatedly,
week after week through the readings from Holy Scripture we hear how Christ
fulfilled all the prophecies that foretold of the coming of the messiah, this
week is no different.
The prophet
Isaiah refers to the one to come, Christ, as “a great light” one that will
bring those who walk in darkness into the light.”
Christ did
indeed bring light into a world full of darkness and gloom, not unlike the
world we live in today.
In order for
that light to break through Christ had to take on the pain and suffering of
rejection and doubt and ultimately die the ignominious death of a criminal on
the cross just so we could achieve the forgiveness of our sins and
transgressions and have the opportunity to gain eternal life free of pain and
suffering.
Christ began
by exhorting all to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand”
Today, in a
world where there is more emphasis on worldly things and less emphasis on
living according to the teachings of Christ and giving God a portion of our
daily time, we need to reflect on what Christ brought to us and how he
instructed us to live.
The light that
Christ brought wiped away the darkness that enveloped the world by showing us
that Love of God and love and respect of each other and all God created was the
way to live.
Paul, in his
letter to the Corinthians could also be speaking to those of us who live in the
world today “I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing
among you, to be united again in your belief and practice.”
Over the centuries
that divide us from the time of Christ to this twenty first century there have
been many changes made to the words of Christ. Man has taken the simple message
of Love, charity, Compassion, and forgiveness that Christ preached and added many
that have nothing to do with knowing, loving and serving God but a lot to do
with control, power, and sadly, greed.
Through the
years these manmade rules and regulations have divided the Church that the
apostles formed based on the teachings of Christ.
In my opinion
events of recent years like speaking out in favor of a return to allowing
married priests and the ordination of women as deacons, as they were in the
time of Paul is The Holy Spirit attempting to awaken us to greater
possibilities of serving God and his ever enlarging flock.
There are so
many people who are hearing the call “Follow me and I will make you fishers
of people” but are being denied that opportunity because they are married
or are women.
Virtually all Protestant
denominations including those that are a part of The One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church like the Anglicans and Lutherans and, reformed Judaism, have
women serving as priests, ministers, or rabbis.
The Second Vatican
Council's Decree on Ecumenism acknowledges the action of the Holy Spirit in
other denominations (Ch. 1, Art. 3); and states "Whatever is wrought by
the grace of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of our separated brothers and
sisters can contribute to our own edification." (Ch. 1, Art. 4).
It would seem that
Catholicism has something to learn in our journey toward true ecumenism.
With so much
dissention and strife in this world, with poverty, hunger, and war claiming so
many lives we need to return to the ways Christ instructed.
We need to let
His light illuminate the road we will travel, and use the truth of His
teachings as our roadmap to bringing about a time of brotherly love and
Christian unity.
Only by doing
that we will again gather together as one united faith community in service to
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and be
living out the great commandments proclaimed by Christ “Love the Lord, your
God, with your whole heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as you love
yourself.”
We begin by
accepting ourselves as God made us and accepting the diversity that God created
for purposes know to Him alone.
We are all children
of God, Jew or Gentile, Greek, Italian, Irish, Spanish or German, all are
created by God and are His children, let us respect each other and love each
other as Christ instructed.
Let us not
shut out the light that Christ brought to the world but let us allow the Holy
Spirit, the enlightener, to open us up to think beyond the status quo and
realize that Christ challenged the norm of His day so we may well have to
challenge the norms of today.
Let us
actively seek to find ways to, as St Paul advised to the Corinthians, “make
up the differences that separate us”, and seek out a way of unifying the
entire Mystical Body of Christ.
I close this
reflection with the words of Benedict XVI who ended his statement on Ecumenism
with these words “May his example (St. Paul’s) be an encouragement
for everyone to accept the Word of salvation and to translate it into daily
life, in faithful discipleship of Christ." AMEN
