THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Isaiah 8:23b–9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23)
Today’s Gospel has long been a favorite of the Church
because of its emblematic vocational call. At Jesus’ simple invitation, Peter
and his companions immediately drop everything to follow him.
The reading begins with a sense of urgency. Jesus takes up
the mission of his forerunner John, who has just been imprisoned. He proclaims
the same message as John but reverses his word order. Where John announced,
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent…,” Jesus places the demand first:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In this way, he teaches his
listeners the absolute necessity of placing God’s will at the center of their lives.
The needs and desires of the self are not as important as God’s righteousness.
We are accustomed to thinking of ourselves as “number one.”
But blessed are the children whose parents tell them, “Always do what is
right.” Sadly, many children grow up hearing messages that encourage them to
put their own interests first. The result is a society in which everyone claims
personal rights without considering the responsibility of safeguarding the
rights of others. When someone gives us the wrong change, we are quick to
correct the mistake; but when the error is in our favor, we are reluctant to
say anything.
The fishermen in today’s Gospel do not show this selfish
tendency. Instead, as soon as they hear Jesus’ call, they respond quickly and
wholeheartedly. Simon Peter and Andrew leave their nets — their livelihood — to
follow him. James and John even leave their father behind.
By changing the focus of their hearts to follow Jesus, they
allow him to transform their lives. They will no longer be simply “fishermen”;
he will make them “fishers of men.” This transformation is not limited to the
saints of the past or to priests today. It also occurs in the lives of many
laypeople today. A man recruited students for colleges. After completing his
formation as a lay minister, however, he came to identify himself more as a
minister than as a recruiter. All of us know men and women who are successful
in their careers but stand out even more for their Christian charity.
When we decide to follow Jesus, we experience grace as a
dynamic force that moves us to do good and resist evil. Nevertheless, we will
always encounter challenges that can cause us to stumble and sometimes fall
into sin. Priests may fall in love; laypeople may also become romantically
attracted to someone else. Or it may be drugs or alcohol that lead to our
downfall. In one way or another, we drift away from our discipleship. Even Peter
lost the enthusiasm of his initial commitment.
He denied Jesus three times out of fear when the Lord was arrested.
Yet the Lord called him again. After asking Peter three
times to declare his love, Jesus entrusted him with the care of his flock. Just
as Jesus acted with Peter, he will act with us. If we ask his pardon, Jesus will
forgive our sin and call us once more — not for his sake, but for ours.
Life is a long journey filled with stumbling blocks. We will
likely fail in our original commitment to the Lord. Still, as Saint Paul says
to Timothy, “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny
himself” (2 Tim 2:13). The Lord is always offering us another opportunity to
respond to his call.
