Jesus saw Peter and Andrew fishing and said, “Follow Me.” They immediately left their lives and followed Him. He then saw James and John and also called out to them. They too went with Him without hesitation. These four men, the first disciples of Jesus, were called by the Lord to serve the Him, spread the word of God, and to help His people. When the Lord calls upon you, will you be willing to answer His call?
Jesus does not discriminate when He call to us. He calls out to all people, everywhere, every day, all day long. These men that Jesus chose as His first disciples were poor, failing fishermen. They had nothing to offer except themselves: their heart, mind and soul. And that is all Jesus asks for. Give your all. St. Luke tells us that when Jesus approached the men, Peter said “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Peter believed he was not worthy of serving the Lord. But Jesus sought him out, knowing exactly who He wanted with Him. It is only when our hearts and minds are open, when we confess and ask for forgiveness for our sins, that we can hear the Lord calling us.
Receiving a “calling to serve” from the Lord can come in many different forms. For His disciples, it was a literal calling out to them across the river. Although we won’t see Jesus standing in front of us, it doesn’t mean He isn’t shouting out our names asking us to join Him in serving God. You might be thinking: How can I be expected to be like these disciples, to leave my life, my job, my everything, so I may serve the Lord?” It doesn’t have to be that hard, but it does require some sacrifice. We are all called to serve the Lord in different ways. Some people have a calling to join the priesthood while others are drawn to volunteering in the community. Others serve the Lord through their chosen careers. We can all use our lives as they already are, using all the resources available to us, to think of extra ways to help. Every time you show up and sacrifice your time and efforts to help others, you are answering Jesus’ call to serve the Lord.
Happy 4th of July!