New Beginnings - again and again

Our readings today are all about the call to discipleship, and how we answer that call. Let’s face it — it’s hard to follow Christ. Each of us is called by virtue of our baptism to discipleship and vocation. But it’s not always easy to answer that call. We lose sight of who we are called to be. Disappointed in past failures, we conclude that we’re simply not good enough — we’re not “worthy” to become a true disciple. We lose heart. We settle for something less, a lukewarm version of Christianity, a lukewarm version of ourselves. But thankfully, God provides us a ready-made example of what it takes to become a disciple — how we get there.

So let’s talk a bit about babies. When you stop and think about it, babies are truly wondrous creatures. Not infants in arms so much, but the semi-mobile ones, just on the cusp of becoming toddlers. If you’ve ever been blessed to be around a baby taking those first experimental steps, the focus and intensity, the commitmentto mastering that completely new skill, is simply amazing. But probably the most important key to success is complete disregard for past failures. Every time they pull themselves up, it’s like it’s the first time, a brand new beginning. No matter how many times they fall down, they pick themselves up again fully focused on the way forward. They begin again, undeterred by past failure. They don’t think about limitations. They boldly move forward, trusting in success, even if they don’t know where the path leads.

There’s a model in discipleship for each of us in that toddler’s focus, determination, and faith that they’ll succeed. It’s not about how many times we fail or fall short, but how we respond. As St. Teresa of Calcutta reminds us, “God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.”

That theme of focus, commitment, and faith resonates throughout our readings this weekend. In our first reading from the Book of Kings, God tells Elijah to anoint Elisha to become his successor as God’s prophet. When Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha as he’s plowing his field, not surprisingly Elisha pushes back a bit. I say not surprisingly because if you dissect this reading a bit, it’s likely that Elisha is doing pretty well. Plowing with 12 yoke of oxen doesn’t indicate basic subsistence farming, so Elijah’s call is a pretty big “ask.” Elijah basically tells him, “Hey, it’s your choice. I’m not forcing you to do anything.” But Elisha does embrace his call to vocation. Because he trusts the one who calls him, by his own free choice he slaughters all 24 of the oxen, burns the plow equipment to cook the meat, and holds a feast for the people who depend on him. And by that act he goes “all in.” He completely surrenders his prior way of life, sacrificing any chance of ever returning to it, to become a servant to an itinerant prophet. In faith, he wholeheartedly embraces his call to discipleship, with no clear idea of where his new path will lead, trusting in God to show him the way.

Paul expands on the idea of freedom of choice in our reading from Galatians. He reminds us that we’ve been granted the freedom to choose our actions, whether we embrace God’s law or follow other paths. Too often in today’s world we misunderstand the true nature and meaning of the gift of freedom. Instead of embracing the true freedom to become who we are called to be, to live in the light of Christ, we enslave ourselves to worldly things and - as Paul puts it - “desires of the flesh.” Paul is reminding us that true freedom comes from detaching ourselves from the things of this world to focus instead on the path God puts before us, faithfully trusting Him to show us the way.

Does that mean we don’t need to work to put a roof over our family or put food on the table? Hardly - Elisha was called to the vocation of prophet, in the footsteps of Elijah. Others are called to the priesthood or religious life. For most of us though, our primary call is to the vocation of marriage and parenthood. Whatever our vocation, Paul’s message is that we cannot let our worldly pursuits and <attachment to things> obscure our response to God’s call. He calls us to look beyond ourselves and become the person we have been called to be.

Finally, our Gospel reading from Luke brings home the fact that answering our call to discipleship is not a halfway thing or a “cafeteria” style of faith - it’s all or nothing. Jesus reminds us that the cost of discipleship can be very high. As any parent will tell you, fully embracing true discipleship often means choosing vocation over earthly comfort. When several candidates approach Jesus to become followers, but then ask to leave to take care of some family business first, Christ’s response to them comes across as a bit harsh. But Jesus’ point is this - the call to vocation, to discipleship, is absolute and unwavering. There are no halfway measures and no guarantees — only a focus on the path immediately before us, and faith in the One who calls us. In the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

As we “set our hand to the plow” each day to till the fields of our discipleship, we need to keep our eyes fixed resolutely ahead, focused on our salvation. Undeterred by past failure, and unbothered by worldly concerns, let us respond to our call to discipleship today, tomorrow, and every day — “Jesus, I trust in You. Now I begin.”