Christ is calling

Our Gospel reading this morning brings us the story of Christ calling the first twelve disciples who would ultimately become the first leaders of the Church on earth. Jesus, the Son of our loving and merciful Father in Heaven, selects and empowers twelve men as apostles. He sends them forth to preach, to heal the sick, to comfort the poor and marginalized — to bring comfort to those cast out and forgotten by society.

When we think about the apostles, we generally focus on who they became, the great missionaries bringing the “Good News” of Jesus Christ to the world in the face of great trials and tribulation. We see them in their greatness. They are saints, after all, the patriarchs of our bishops. Their stories helped form the Sacred Scripture and especially our Gospels. And all that’s great and truly important.

But here’s the thing — Jesus didn’t call them in their greatness. He didn’t call the learned, the rich, or the religious leaders of his time. God doesn’t work like that. He called hard-working fishermen with no education or social standing right off their boats. He called a violent revolutionary. He called a tax collector, among the most hated people in his society. He called ORDINARY PEOPLE eking out ordinary lives to come and follow him. And as we well know, they changed the world.

And just as Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, John, and ALL his apostles out of their ordinary lives, he calls each one of us today. As Christians, we have the same mission Jesus entrusted to his apostles — to carry his word to all the world. He calls us to testify by our lives and support the mission of his Church on earth through our charity, our witness, and our prayers. Like the apostles we too are being called to discipleship by Christ today — not because WE are capable of greatness any more than the disciples were, but because HE is. All we have to do is answer His call.