Last Sunday’s Gospel offers us one of the most compelling stories of call and response. Jesus walks by the sea of Galilee, sees Simon and Andrew going about their daily fishing business, and calls them to follow Him. The same happens with another pair of brothers, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John who were mending their nets. It seems that no sooner has
Jesus made his offer: “Follow me, and I will make you Fishers of people,” that they instantly put down their nets, leave their boats and in the case of James and John, their father Zebedee, follow Jesus.
Who would abandon their business to follow someone who has no established business? On the other hand, it’s possible they had heard of Jesus or seen him before and
were grappling with wanting to follow him, and Jesus confirmed the invitation. Perhaps there was something so powerful and attractive about Jesus that they wanted to be with him.
In the Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius invites us to imagine or recall being approached by a person we admire and asked to work alongside them on a project that excites and energises us.
How quickly we would make a wholehearted yes! I recall the experience of being approached by a woman whose writing I had loved and admired for many years to collaborate with her on a project that I had only ever dreamed I could be part of. To feel chosen and called by one we respect to do work we long to be part of elicits that kind of wholehearted and immediate assent. How much more when Christ personally invites us to join him in working alongside him on the particular aspect of his great
project we care most about?
Consider when I have felt a sense of being called. How did I respond? Talk with Jesus about what he may be inviting you to do with him now.
