by Carla Schommer, Director of St. Francis Convent
Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee following the arrest of John, saw two fishermen -- Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew -- casting a net into the sea. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Peter and Andrew, at once, dropped their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:19-20)
A little further on Jesus saw James and his brother John in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called the brothers, and they immediately left their boat and their father to follow him.
Jesus interrupted their daily routine, their daily livelihood, and called them to a new life. Peter, Andrew, James and John did not hesitate to answer Jesus with a "yes." They gave up their livelihoods and even their families to follow him. Every day of our earthly journey Jesus interrupts our lives calling each of us to come and follow him. How willing is our "yes" to God's call?
Following Jesus always means leaving something behind, and we won't always know where our decision to follow Jesus will lead us. It's not easy to walk away from the things we know and want to do in order to follow Jesus and do what he asks of us. In order to answer with a willing and immediate "yes" to Jesus' invitation we must nurture our relationship with Jesus through prayer, both private and with community. As we come to know Jesus' abundant and unending love we long to be with him, to leave our former lives behind and follow him to new life.
Let us pray that we grow in our relationship with Jesus and his unending love, that we open our ears to his call to follow him each day, and that we respond, at once, with our "yes" to his invitation to new life.
thanks Carla. right on!!
The next interruption will remind. Thanks, Carla
Yes. I've come to believe that interruptions are the only stable in life. Great reflection. Thanks.
Thanks Carla, Those calls may be something we will rather like and as you and I well know sometimes we would like to make believe we did not hear the call. thanks for your call to our Community!
Carla, your reflection made me think of Pope Francis' message in the Joy of the Gospel. Jesus' first disciples must have been moved by great joy as they followed Him. May we also be moved by such joy.
Thanks, Carla. Interruptions truly move us out of our comfort zone...that's where the Spirit abides.