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“All interruptions are invitations.”  And therein may be the most significant calls in a day. Near the beginning of a New Year is a great time for spending time, perhaps a bit of time every day, listening for Jesus’ specific call and preparing for the generosity to answer when you hear it.

Monday in the First Week of Ordinary Time

Hebrews 1:1-6

Psalm 97:1-2, 6-7, 9

M ark 1:14-20  Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, (15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (16) And passing along by the Sea of Galilee , he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. (17) And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." (18) And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (19) And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. (20) And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.

Meditation by Maryanne Rouse

In “another” life, I was a Human Resources Director.  I wonder now about Jesus’ style of recruitment and hiring.  No ads in the paper or on the Internet, no review of resumes, no initial phone interviews, followed by face to face interviews of a few, and definitely no reference checking!

Just good old-fashioned simple sizing up of the future disciples face to face and putting forth the employment offer, such as it was. “Come and follow me now and become fishers of men,” whatever that might have meant. Jesus must have had some charisma.  

How do we know this?  Because they dropped their nets and left the men they were working with including, for James and John, their own father.

Perhaps it would be worth the time to pray today’s Gospel, using Ignatian contemplation, that is, using your imagination to enter the scene and employing your senses to assist you. What does the scene look like?  Who all is there? What are the smells?  What character are you? Knowing that Jesus calls all of us to accompany Him, what precisely does He say to you?  And what do you respond?

Note that the Church places this Gospel on the day after Christ’s Baptism. It’s as if now that He had become aware of His identity and His mission, He was taking no time to enlist the help of others to get on with it. At 30, He may have been eager to get going.

Near the beginning of a New Year is a great time for spending time, perhaps a bit of time every day, listening for Jesus’ specific call and preparing for the generosity to answer when you hear it.

Last year, I heard the statement: “All interruptions are invitations.”  And therein may be the most significant calls in a day.

Supplementary Reading

Who Will Receive the Blessing?

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation – Psalm 24:3-5

G od wants you to receive every blessing that He has in store for you. In His Word, He tells you about His wonderful blessings, but He also tells you how to receive His blessings — by having clean hands and a pure heart.

We are made pure and clean by the precious blood of Jesus when we make Him our Lord and Savior and turn away from anything that displeases Him. I’ve found that most of the time, it’s not the big things that keep us from God’s best; it’s the small things — maybe it starts with an offense that turns into unforgiveness. Maybe you watch something on TV or the internet that you know you shouldn’t, and it becomes a bad habit that steals your time and pollutes your mind.

Today, make the decision to let go of anything that would keep you from His blessings. Make the decision to be a person of excellence and integrity. Treat others with respect and kindness and look for ways to be a blessing. Be determined to live a life that pleases God so that you can receive the abundance He has in store for you!

Father in heaven, thank You for the blood of Jesus that cleanses and renews me. I choose to turn away from anything that displeases You so that I can live righteously before You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  – Joel & Victoria Osteen # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU. – Bobot Apit

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