Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Lesson: Jesus Doesn’t Work Alone

The arrest of St John the Baptist, mentioned at the beginning of this Gospel passage, was a moment of transition for Jesus. Before that point, Jesus had begun gathering his Apostles and preaching, but only on a part-time basis.

As long as John continued preaching and baptizing, Jesus stayed in the wings. But when John was arrested, that was the sign. The last prophet had been silenced, and the moment had come for Jesus, the Messiah whom all the prophets had announced, to take center stage.

St Matthew tells us that when that moment came, Jesus moved to Capernaum [cup-HER-knee-uhm], a more cosmopolitan city than his small hometown of Nazareth.

And then he called his first Apostles. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had all met Jesus before, when they were still disciples of John the Baptist. They had spent time with Jesus. They had seen him perform the miracle at Cana, turning water into wine at the wedding feast. They had started to get to know him - the Gospel of John tells us that they had even come to believe that he was the Messiah.

But that's not enough for Jesus. Jesus has more to show them, and more for them to do. So at this crucial moment, when he is ready to begin his full-time ministry, Jesus goes out to these fishermen as they ply their trade on the Sea of Galilee, calls them by name, and invites them to help build his Kingdom. Jesus didn't start his mission alone, and he doesn't continue it alone.

He established his Church and began his work of salvation with the help of these chosen apostles, and today he continues his work in the same way, calling normal fishermen, folks like you and me, to become his apostles.

Interrupting Our Daily Routine

It is interesting to notice exactly how Jesus issues this invitation. The Apostles are on the lake, fishing - in the middle of their work, their business. Jesus comes to meet them there. He walks out to the lakeshore. He enters into their environment. He walks into their everyday lives.

Up until this point his only contact with them had been in extraordinary circumstances - festal gatherings and holidays. But now he comes right into the warp and woof of their daily lives. He could have dropped by their houses after work. He could have spoken to them after Saturday services in the synagogue. He could have met them in town on one of their days off. That would have been easier on them - less of an interruption, less of an inconvenience.

But he doesn't. He wants to be part of their lives. He doesn't want to be on the fringe - he wants to be involved.

He deals with us the same way. He is always coming out to meet us, walking along the shore of our lives. He is always thinking of us, watching us, and calling out to us through the Church and through our conscience - regardless of convenience.

He wants us to follow him more closely today than yesterday, more passionately tomorrow than today. We just need to listen, to pay attention, and when necessary, to leave behind our nets, our relationships, our boats - anything that hinders us from hearing and heeding the call of our Lord.

How overjoyed Jesus must have been when he saw these men, who had everything to lose, put it all on the line for him! How it must have thrilled his heart to find friends and followers who were willing to trust him completely!

How and Why to Respond to Christ's Call

Jesus doesn't work alone. He calls us to work with him. We respond to that call by following his commandments and obeying the teachings of his Church. We respond by keeping our prayer life in shape and embracing the sacraments.

We respond by looking for opportunities to draw others closer to Christ through our courageous but respectful words and through our tireless example of humility, faith, and selfless concern for our neighbor. We respond by listening for the small inspirations the Holy Spirit sends us each day - inspirations that almost always lead us out of our comfort zones for the sake of our neighbor.

Jesus calls, and we must respond, leaving behind the boat that we love and the nets that we depend on. It is not always easy to respond to Christ's call. Life is already hard. When he asks more of us, our first reaction is usually to hesitate, or even to rebel.

That's when we have to remember why Jesus keeps calling us. It's because he loves us. It's because he wants us to be with him. It's because he knows that only he can fill our hearts with the meaning and purpose we yearn for. Jesus does not call us for selfish reasons - he can't be selfish. He calls us for our sake, and when we respond, he always stays right there at our side.

He will remind us of this today during Mass. It's only because he has called us to be his followers that we will have this remarkable opportunity to receive God himself at Holy Communion.

When we do, let's thank him for not giving up on us, for continuing to call us - and let's promise him that this week we will listen with extra attention.