They left their nets and followed him.
“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 abandoned their nets and followed him” (cf. Mk 1:14-18).
Today's Gospel speaks about the vocation of disciples. The pattern of the vocation is very simple: Jesus calls, the disciple answers. It is like a model scene. But what is striking about it?
First, the gaze of Jesus, which is a choice, a community proposal. In Jesus' day, the disciples themselves sought and chose a master, teacher. Jesus does the opposite; He chooses disciples. St. Paul wrote about himself that he had been "conquered by Christ." Jesus chose twelve Apostles but then continually called them. Each daily contact with Him was a new look and a new calling.
We cannot live by the power of "one calling" all our life. If two young people, while getting to know each other, confess their love and then never talk about it again, the strength of their love will sooner or later expire, it will be exhausted. Man needs to express his feelings again and again in different ways. It is the same with Jesus. We should cultivate the constant awareness that every day, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow he is in our lives, in our everyday life, he is with us, he loves us and needs us.
The demand for unconditional trust is striking in the vocation scene. Jesus only says, "Follow me." He does not say what he wants or where he will lead the disciples. By following Jesus, the disciple gets to know him, not through discussions, but through an intimate presence. They get to know his lifestyle, his choices, mentality, criteria and preferences. Thanks to this, they "learned Jesus". It is a whole life process. There is no disciple who is perfect right away. it is the process of becoming a Disciple and a Christian.
We, today disciples, have two important tools for getting to know Jesus. The first is the Scriptures. When we read them, especially the Gospels or Letters of St. Paul, we meet the historical Jesus, we get to know Him gradually. The second source is the Eucharist, the Holy Mass. By participating in it, we consciously meet the living person of Jesus.
"Being with someone" means having time for them, feeling their closeness, expressing our love and affection. If we love (a husband, wife, child, friend), we want to be in their company often, not even saying anything, but staying close to them. We know well that the greatest gifts are not a substitute for presence. The condition of friendship with Jesus is also to be in his presence, with him, "by his side", like Mary of Bethany (cf. Lk 10:39).
Pope Benedict XVI spoke very nicely about it: "Being by his side and being a messenger to the people - this cannot be separated. Only the one who is with him knows him and can properly proclaim him. Whoever is with him does not keep Him to himself but must pass on what he has found. […] Let us love to being with the Lord. Then we can tell Him everything, discuss our questions, our worries and our fears. We can also express our hopes, gratitude, disappointments, and requests."
Until Tomorrow
fr. george