Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1,14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
The call to follow
1) He calls: Your vocation is a call from God to you. When God sets his gaze upon you, He leaves His mark in your life. I am not just referring to what the life of a priest implies, I also want to refer to the call in the life of a Christian.
I am sure there are many Christians in name only, and that is why I want to address you, too.
A committed Christian devotes his life to evangelizing. He is a Christian who has met Jesus. When I celebrate mass in the mountains or in the countryside (in very small places), I see amazing devotion. I’m full of joy because I see many people who are really seeking Jesus. There are people who even ride 3 hours just to go to mass… and you say: “Wow, that’s Christian vocation”!
I also think of many people who have had a real encounter with Jesus in a retreat and today are evangelizers; people who are “hungry” to bring Jesus to this world and who are “contagious”.
2) His brother: These first apostles leave everything behind them and follow Jesus. It is at this point where I thank Jesus for being able to encounter secular people who renew my faith and spirituality. Yes, there are times when we priests and consecrated persons get so used to God’s things that we “bureaucratize” everything and, instead of bringing others closer to Him, we scare them away. Thank you, dear new apostles, for showing me that the way to evangelizing my brother is in the simple things.
3) At work: We are called to take Jesus to everyday life: in your job, and in your daily routine. It is by doing our best, doing what needs to be done, but doing it well, where we become sanctified. Offer your work to God today. Offer to meet Him in your work, so that work also becomes a prayer. May God console your heart, by always remembering you are His apostle.
God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Remember Heaven is our goal.
