The Power of “The Call”

Homily: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Mark 1:14-20

24 January 2021

Fr. Ricky C. Montanez 

Cardinal Chito Tagle was my professor in Theology and he was also the one who ordained me to both the diaconate and the priesthood 10 years ago. I have always known him to be a wise and humble person with a profound influence on people.  A friend of mine once told me that their batch in the seminary had planned an exposure trip to Davao. They were all excited at the prospect of taking a flight to Davao. Upon learning that they wanted to take the plane, Father Chito then intervened saying, “Wait, why take the airplane? Maybe it is better to take the boat.” Heeding Father Chito’s suggestion, the class agreed to take the boat so they started checking out rates for airconditioned ship cabins. Then Father Chito asked again, “Why the airconditioned accommodation? That isn’t the purpose to get to Davao so whatever means to get there is all right. It is always good if we could be in solidarity with the poor.” In the end, they all took the boat on economy class to Davao.  

Have you encountered someone so fascinating and admirable that you tend to hang on their every word and before you know it, they have such an influence on you that you just can’t seem to say no to them? It could be a parent, a teacher, a mentor, a lover, a leader, etc. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus appears to have been such a person with so much magnetism and influence on people. The story is about the call of Jesus’ first disciples — Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John. Simon and Andrew were doing their daily work and casting their nets at sea. Then Jesus shows up. He was just passing by the Sea of Galilee.  He chats with them a little and says “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) If you think about it, this is a command, and not a request, coming from a total stranger.  Recall that John the Baptist had just been arrested and Jesus was just starting His ministry.  He had not yet accomplished all those great miracles or amassed such a following for his teachings. He was a nobody to these fishermen who knew little more than their trade as to the events in other towns.  How strange that at Jesus’ invitation these fishermen “abandoned their nets and followed Him”!  (Mark 1:18) To do what, might I add? To be “fishers of people”!  What could that mean for a fisherman? For someone who caught fish to sell for a living, why would he want to catch people? And yet, they immediately responded to Jesus’ invitation left their livelihood and followed Him. The passage continues saying Jesus “walks a little farther” (Mark 1:19) and spots James and John in their boat mending their nets with their father, Zebedee, and a few hired men. As soon as Jesus calls them, James and John leave their father and what we can surmise to be their inheritance — the fishing trade. To those listening today who have established a family business. Imagine yourself, teaching your children the business in the hope that one day they will take over, and then some unknown comes along, chats with your kids and the next thing you know they tell you they are out the door to follow the stranger!  Crazy, right?  Zebedee must have been in shock!  Simon, Andrew, James and John promptly and unquestioningly took a leap of faith and went as they were, leaving their whole life behind, to follow Jesus. 

As we delve into this awesome encounter I would like you to take note of 3 things — the caller, the call itself, and the response. There must have been something so compelling about Jesus that the four of them could not resist or delay.  Mark explains little but I assume that it was Jesus’ divinity and his natural penchant for teaching, coupled with the urgency of His message that convinced the four men.  First — Holiness… The inherent holiness of Jesus was so powerful and alluring in itself. To some extent I have felt this. As I watched the beatification of Carlo Acutis I was so moved by the holy life of this boy whom I never even met or heard of before. But as he was introduced through testimonials, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn’t help but cry. Second — Innate Skill… Recall that Jesus was a carpenter.  He did not go to school to become a teacher, but He was so effective in preaching that people came in thousands to listen to Him.  As a teacher, I can tell you that not everyone in that profession is effective. No matter how interesting the topic, if you are boring and speak with no command or mastery of the subject matter, no one will listen to you. It could have been His voice or the manner by which He related to them that captivated their hearts or simply because Jesus spoke with such confidence and authority that Simon and his brother Andrew dropped everything at the words “Come after me.”  Third — Urgency of the Message… Recall that soon after John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus started proclaiming “The Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mark 1:15) At hand… meaning it is so near! There is no time to prepare adequately. To do so, one must move NOW. And how is this message so believable? It is powerful because it is the truth. Jesus was credible because He only spoke the truth. 

Jesus calls the four fishermen to a life of casting their nets in a different way and using their talent for fishing to serve God as Jesus’ companions and helpers in establishing God’s Kingdom. We, too are called by God. Jesus presents us with the same challenge: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” [of people]. (Mark 1:17) The Lord often approaches us while we are in the middle of our busy everyday life. He calls us to use our own skills, talents and gifts in new and different ways.  Sometimes the call of God challenges us to go out of our comfort zones, to venture into unchartered waters, to have the boldness of the saints who were willing to be fools for Christ or to give up their very lives to follow Him.  We, priests and religious men and women, live like that. We have to leave our hometowns and our families to go where we are assigned and needed, all in the service of God.  Most of the time, God simply asks us to serve Him where we are, in the particular context we find ourselves in.  A good friend of mine who loves to cook recently started selling a few of his dishes to his friends to help sustain the feeding program he and his family initiated to benefit the poor, the homeless and the hungry in the streets of Metro Manila. How do we know God is calling us? The call of God is always directed towards our own good and those of our brothers and sisters. We must be able to recognize and listen to God’s voice. God’s voice is unmistakable. We may not hear it with our ears but we hear it in our hearts or by inspired ideas. God’s voice makes us contribute to the building up of God’s reign in our midst. It allows us to foster unity and goodwill among people.

Of course, we read in the Bible how the lives of these four (4) plus eight (8) other individuals were transformed by just hanging around Jesus, assisting Him, listening to His teachings, witnessing His miracles, and by simply being His friends.  Because they said “YES” to the call of Jesus they lead such extraordinary lives and accomplished great things beyond their wild imaginings.  Can you imagine what might have happened if they said “NO”? Would God have punished them if they chose otherwise?  I don’t believe so. He does not walk away from us angry and say, “Bahala kayo sa buhay niyo. Kung ayaw niyo, di huwag!” After all it was God who gave humanity free will and He honours our decisions. I think the more important issue here would be the consequence of not conforming to the will of God. God knows everything and is not limited by time or space.  This enables Him to know what is best for us individually and collectively as a people in a society and as participants in the ongoing history of the world.  Simon, Andrew, James and John did not have to follow Jesus’ invitation. Most likely they would have continued to live and eventually die as fishermen, but it is by no means a punishment. For sure they would not have had the privilege of being with Jesus, learning from Him, and living remarkable lives as His disciples. What if Blessed Mary said “NO” to God? She would probably still be married to Joseph and they would lead a holy life together with their family but she would not have become the Mother of God and our salvation may have been delayed or compromised. I repeat, God will honour man’s decision to say no. However, God will continue to call us to what He knows is best for us and humanity. God can be so relentless because He loves us so much that He wants the best for all of us. He will never tire of seeking us out or trying to lead us on the best path.  What better proof can I give you today but the story of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet but then God called him to preach in Nineveh. The passage details Jonah’s obedience but if you read the passages prior you will see that he initially said “No”. He boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction of Nineveh. Then the ship was attacked by a violent storm and Jonah was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a huge fish where he survived in its belly for 3 days and 3 nights. When he finally agrees to God’s plan, Jonah is coughed up on the shores near Nineveh! Despite saying Yes to God, he is still the reluctant prophet.  Nineveh is large enough for a 3-day walk, but Jonah starts preaching only one day in, meaning he has just practically entered the city, near the outskirts. He is nowhere in the heart of the city where all the people are. Yet his message to repent is spread and heeded by the people and their king and they are spared from destruction.  It holds true for us today. God may not send a big fish to swallow us whole but He sends people or opportunities to help us see the wisdom of conforming to His will. It may take seconds or decades but God is patient with us. He waits for our “YES” to His call. Though our “NO” may have dire consequences, God’s love for us always finds a way to make things right or good in the end.   

If we respond unreservedly to Jesus’ persistent call of discipleship, we are assured of an unusual life as well.  Our response to God’s call is not a one-time event but rather a process. It grows and matures and deepens over time.  As we continue to heed Jesus’ call for our own conversion, may we be most attuned. May we be most attentive. May we recognize where Jesus is leading us to help Him establish God’s Kingdom in our midst — right where we are. Yes, this is the time! Let us open ourselves to learn new ways to be Jesus’ disciples in our time.

Art Work by Claudio Pastro