Responding to the Call

In my five plus years as a pastor, there have been a handful of times that I have had to hire a new employee. There are a lot of things about priesthood that they don’t teach you in the seminary but being an employer is near the top of the list. Hiring a new person can sometimes be challenging in that you need to find someone who can do the work of the position but who also possesses certain intangible qualities needed to work for the Church. I have found that those things don’t always go together, which is why we should always be grateful and supportive to the men and women who work in our parishes and schools in service to the Church.

In the Gospel today, Jesus begins to call others to follow Him. In today’s terms, we could say that he is seeking qualified candidates for an open position. But Jesus doesn’t operate the way we might expect – the way I certainly would: creating a job description, fielding inquiries, interviewing candidates. Instead, He simply walks along the Sea of Galilee and invites people directly: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” I would probably have asked, “Excuse me, Jesus, how many hours will I be working? What is your benefit package?” But for these men, the invitation is enough — they leave behind everything they know to follow Him.

Being a disciple is not exactly like being an employee, of course, so my analogy doesn’t work completely. Still, I think the Gospel today invites us to consider our own response to the Lord’s call. Would we have responded if we had heard him along the Sea of Galilee? And what’s more – are we responding now when He calls us? The Lord hasn’t stopped calling disciples to follow Him; He just does so now in different ways than before.

What might prevent us from responding? One factor is a lack of interest or attentiveness. Did you notice how immediately the disciples responded? Presumably, it was because they were already very familiar with who Jesus was and the charisma that He must have had. In last week’s Gospel, we heard how Andrew and Peter had spent time with Jesus, getting to know Him. In today's reading, now the Lord calls them, and knowing Him and being familiar with who He is, they are ready to respond. 

The Calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew (c. 1888) by James Tissot

In our lives, too, we need a familiarity with Jesus – more than that, an intimacy, a friendship – because we can only respond when we recognize His voice and hear the loving urgency of His call. Daily prayer, including regular reading of Sacred Scripture, is an essential way of communicating with the Lord and growing in our friendship with Him. Today is the second “Sunday of the Word of God,” when we recall that the Bible is God’s living Word and that through it He continues to speak to us today. To engage with Scripture every day, even for just ten minutes, can form a habit within us of listening for the Lord’s voice, and often discovering it in the other ways He calls us.

A second factor that can prevent us from responding to the Lord’s call is a lack of confidence in ourselves. In today’s first reading, God calls Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. He does so effectively; the Ninevites turn away from their sin, and Jonah fulfills his role. But we shouldn’t forget what happened before this story: Jonah had run away from God, afraid or unwilling to do what he asked. We also will hear the voice of God speaking to us, calling us to do something, but sometimes we turn Him down because we are afraid or unwilling to do what He asks. We might doubt that He is really speaking to us, or else convince ourselves that we are not qualified to do whatever He asks.

This lack of confidence in ourselves is really rooted in a lack of confidence in Him, in trusting that He will make us ready for the mission he gives to us. Maybe that mission is helping to form our family in holiness, or giving witness in our workplace to our coworkers, or perhaps serving our parish in some way, or perhaps reaching out to those who are lost and in need to share with them our resources, whether material or spiritual. Whatever it might be, we can have confidence that the Lord who calls us will also give us whatever is required to fulfill that call.

Friends, as the Lord once walked along the Sea of Galilee calling the disciples, so too He is present among us and calling us to be part of what He is doing, what He is still doing – sanctifying the world, something needed now more than ever. If we listen to Him, hearing His voice and being attentive to His Word, He will show us how what He desires us to do. Be confident, then, in His call; after all, you don’t have to be an employee of the Church to be doing the Lord’s work. In this Eucharist that we will celebrate, the Lord Himself comes to us in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood to make us ready for the work He sends us to do.

Together on the Way

Do you remember the last time you gave directions? In this era of smartphones and built-in GPS, maybe it has been a while. It is an important skill, though, or was: to be able to clearly and succinctly explain to someone how to get to where they need to go.

In the Gospel today, John the Baptist knows that two of his disciples are lost, not physically but spiritually. We recall how the Gospels tell us that great crowds had gone out to John in the desert, to hear him preach and to see him baptize, and no doubt many followed him, thinking he was the Messiah. But John clearly states that he is not; he has only come to prepare the way for the Messiah. No doubt this left his own disciples troubled and uncertain What were they going to do now? To whom could they turn?

Fortunately, John the Baptist knew how to give good directions. He points out Jesus to these followers, Andrew and an unnamed disciple, and says “Behold, the Lamb of God.” And as he does so, these men who had followed him now become followers of Christ. John’s message of repentance and preparation had gotten their attention, but here at last was the One they had been searching for all along, the One who would truly answer their deepest spiritual yearnings. We can see how they are hesitant at first, perhaps not sure how to follow. But with Jesus’s invitation – “Come and see” – it’s all they need to become His disciples.

Saint John Points Out Christ to Saint Andrew (c. 1635) by Ottavio Vannini

This story is about more than how two men long ago began to follow Jesus. It’s emblematic of how He calls every one of His followers. As Christians, you and I have embraced the role of being Jesus’s disciple, too – that is, His student, one who learns from Him as Teacher. But how we learn and how we follow is not something that can be accomplished individually; we need the aid and involvement of other people. Faith in Christ is not a private enterprise – as if it is something I do that is just between me and God, and maybe in the presence of a few others for an hour on Sunday. No, Jesus’s desire then and now is that we follow and learn from Him not just as mere individuals but as part of a larger group, a community of people that helps and assists each other, with Him at the center. Who we are as a Church, as the Body of Christ, forms and sustains who we are as individual believers.

Sometimes, therefore, we are going to need help in finding Jesus. Perhaps it is going to be getting through a particularly challenging personal moral struggle; maybe it’s a difficult relationship or an interior feeling of being lost, unsure of where to turn. When that happens, we have to look for someone in our life who might be able to point us in the right direction. Like He did for the two disciples in the Gospel, God will place someone in our path, but we must be willing and open to receiving guidance. Remember that the One whom you are truly searching for is Jesus – to become more like Him in some way, to be reminded that He is calling you to follow Him, to remember that He is the Light that guides your path. So if you are searching for Him, look for a person who seems to have found Him. Ask that person for help, do what they are doing, and you will find that you are soon back on the path to the Lord.

But, then remember, it’s not just about you. As part of a community, a Church, we also have to be attentive for the times when God will call us to help others in finding Him. In the Gospel today, notice how after finding Jesus, Andrew and the other disciple aren’t content just to follow after. They go first and share Whom they have found with someone else – Simon, Andrew’s brother – who also meets Jesus and follows Him. They do for Simon what John the Baptist had done for them; they give directions on where Jesus can be found. So it must be with us, as well. Our faith can't be a private, individualized affair; we must be ready to share it with confidence and joy. If God helps us to find Jesus through others, He is also going to ask us to give directions to others as well. When that happens, we shouldn’t be shy or timid; we may not feel particularly wise or holy, but if we trust in the Holy Spirit, we can be confident that whatever we say or do, whatever guidance or encouragement we can give, will be used by God for that person’s benefit. God used Andrew and the other disciple to call a man named Simon, who would one day become Peter, the greatest of the apostles and the first pope. Who knows what might happen in the life of someone else if we too are bold in sharing what we have found?

So, my friends, do you remember the last time you gave someone directions – not to find a place, but to encounter Jesus? As disciples, we are all on the journey of faith, a path of following and learning form our Lord. But we are on this journey together, supporting each other, receiving help when we need it, and giving help when others do. That is how Jesus has willed it for us, His Body, His Church, so let’s put aside our own fears and misgivings, and focus instead on the Master calling us, inviting us each day. “Come and see,” He says to us; let us boldly follow after.

Beloved

The Christmas season comes to a close today. I don’t know about you, but I always find myself feeling a little sad, especially when I have to put away my decorations. It always feels like the end of something special: kind of like cleaning up after a big party, or going back to work the first day after vacation. Normal life sets back in, and the challenges of the real world return.

Of course, this year, the challenges of the real world never really went away. Our Christmas celebrations were different, we watched with concern as the pandemic has only gotten worse, and more recently, the political and social tensions that highlighted much of last summer and fall have returned with a vengeance. We have experienced various challenges in our own local community too: the sadness of loss, uncertainties in regard to work and the future, and the difficulty of living with daily anxiety about the state of things, near and far from home. Add it all up, and it’s enough to discourage anyone.

How fortunate, therefore, for us to hear from God himself in the Gospel just now: “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” At the Lord’s baptism, the heavens were opened, the Holy Spirit descended, and the voice of God himself was heard. This passage comes from the beginning of Mark’s Gospel — a Gospel which doesn’t have any of the Christmas stories from which we have been hearing the last several weeks. Instead, Jesus just shows up in the desert, appearing out of the blue, wanting to be baptized. But lest we have any doubt about his identity, the voice of God himself assures us that he is no ordinary fellow: he is the Divine Son. He is the fullness of God, not just present before us, but present with us.

That’s the truth that we have been celebrating all through this Christmas season, but notice the setting for it this time: it’s not in a manger scene, or in front of kings bearing gifts, but among a crowd of sinners waiting for repentance. To be baptized was to declare that one’s life needed a radical re-start. It involved not just a confession of sins but the acceptance of a whole new way of life; in today’s terms, think of something like getting sober or going vegan, but even more radical. What a surprise then that Jesus is there among the group – as God’s Son, he didn’t need to repent of anything. But that’s the point; despite being sinless himself, he identifies himself with us completely, even to the point of being baptized. He is God’s Son, yes – but he has come to share in the very depths of our brokenness and tragedy.

The Baptism of Christ (c. 1690) by Antoine Coypel

I would suggest that’s a reality that we should hold on to, especially as we move back to the post-Christmas rhythms of daily life. Perhaps our sorrows and struggles are feeling burdensome; perhaps we are even feeling anxiety because of the uncertainties we face. As I mentioned earlier this Christmas season, our temptation can be to cast around for false hopes and fleeting pleasures – to try to find heaven on earth, or worse, to create it ourselves. But as the saying goes, those who try to build heaven on earth often just end up making life hell. Instead, what we need is to renew our faith in the Savior who has come down into the very depths of our human reality, the muck and disorder of our condition, in order to raise us to something greater.

The Feast of the Lord’s Baptism closes the Christmas season but it also sets the stage for the rest of the year. It reminds us ultimately of the mystery of grace. When Jesus was baptized, it wasn’t the waters that did the washing; rather, he purified them, so that the waters of baptism could purify us and make us sharers in his identity. Because of grace, because of our baptism and all of the sacraments, God says to each of us what he said to Jesus: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Grace is not like fleeting earthly pleasures, where we search for an escapism from our troubles. Nor is it the false promise of utopian thinking, where we think we can solve every problem, our own and society’s at large. No, grace is the divine gift by which we realize that we are loved by God, through which we can face the challenges we have without being overwhelmed by them. It is the heavenly power to live a supernatural life even in the midst of our daily, natural ones: enduring our trials and sorrows in faith and hope, because we are always focused on the higher reality of being God’s beloved sons and daughters.

Friends, the holidays may have ended, and yes, sadly (for me, at least), the Christmas decorations have to come down. But the true gift of the season is the share we have in Jesus’s sonship, and that can remain and flourish throughout the year if we stir into a flame the Lord’s saving grace. Let’s focus ourselves this year on being the Lord’s more faithful disciples in order to be His more faithful witnesses, so that all who are searching for hope and for answers can find it in him through us. May this Eucharist assist us in beginning anew.

The Door of Humility

One of the oldest and most important churches in the world is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Pilgrims from all around the world – Christians of all kinds and some non-Christians, too – visit there to see where Jesus was born. One of the remarkable things about the church is what you see before you enter. Instead of a tall and broad entryway, as one might expect for such a venerable church, the door from the outside is a narrow passage about four feet tall. It was probably built that way for security reasons, but over the years, the door has taken on a spiritual significance as well. The “Door of Humility,” as it is known, is the only way in to the place of Jesus’s birth; to enter into where God humbled Himself to become Man, each person has to literally bow down as well.

The Epiphany (1653) by Francisco Herrera 'the Elder'

In today’s Gospel, the Magi journey to the same spot in Bethlehem to find the Child Jesus, the Son of Mary. Upon finding him, we are told they “prostrated themselves and did him homage.” There was no Church of the Nativity at that time, no Humility Door to pass through, but they humbled themselves because such is the way to greet a king. The Magi have made the long journey because they know the Child born in Bethlehem is “the Christ”, the Messiah, the King of the Jews.

You and I recognize something else, something the Magi may not have – that this Child is not just a king but also our very God come to redeem us. In Jesus, the glory of the Lord has been made manifest, fully revealed, if we have the humility to see it. Such is the mystery of the Savior's birth, the way He chose to enter into our world. The Son of God comes not in power and glory, as we might expect, but with humility and love, through the door of our own lowly human nature. But to encounter the truth of who He is and to receive the salvation He brings, we also must bow down low.

The Gospel today reminds us that there were others who were aware of the birth of Jesus who did not receive Him with humility. Herod, along with his advisers and the rest of the important people in Jerusalem, reacted to the coming of Christ with fear, violence, and indifference. This is the pattern that played out throughout Jesus’s life. Many people were attracted by Him and came to see Him, but only the humble truly understood who He was and what He offered. The rich, the powerful, the important, the high-and-mighty – for them, Jesus was disappointing, perplexing, infuriating. But for the poor and the needy, for the disgraced and the outcast, for the sinner and the desperate, Jesus was Himself salvation – He offered love, mercy, transformation of life.

This is still the pattern that plays out today. So often we search for God but only according to our own terms. Our prideful expectations of what we want from Him hold us back from truly encountering Him where He is. Our fear at what He might ask of us prevents us from receiving the gifts He desires to give us. If only we were to approach Him in a different way – with trust, with humility, with dependence – we could behold the newness of Christ, the salvation that God offers us in him. 

"The Door of Humility," Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Friends, whether we know it or not, you and I entered the doors of this church to do what the Magi did long ago: to worship the King, the Savior born for us. Whether we will have found Him by the time we leave here depends largely on whether we are willing to pass through another door, not a physical one but a spiritual one: a door that consists in humility of heart. Only by accepting our own littleness, our total dependence on the Lord, can we experience the love of Him who made Himself little for our sake.

May this Eucharist enliven our hearts to behold in faith His humble Presence and to love Him where He may be found.

A New Year's Blessing

One of the great joys of being a priest is being able to impart blessings upon people – that is, to call down God’s favor upon them. Blessings are often given when starting something new. At the end of every confession, for instance, the priest absolves the penitent with a blessing, so that they can start their spiritual life fresh, free from sin and guilt. During a wedding, the newly married bride and groom receive a special Nuptial Blessing from the priest. And if you start a new job, or move into a new home, or buy a new car, you can ask for the priest to bless you to get you off on the right foot.

In today’s first reading, the Israelite people are beginning something new. Freed from slavery in Egypt, now they have entered into a covenant with God on Mount Sinai, in which he promises to be with them and they promised to be faithful to him. To begin this new relationship, God communicates a special formula by which Moses’s brother Aaron and his family would impart priestly blessings upon the Israelites: “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” Shortly after receiving this blessing formula, they will move on from Sinai to continue their journey through the desert. They still have trials and struggles to undergo, but they do so now with God’s presence with them, and with his blessing upon them.

As we begin a New Year, we too want to start it off on the right foot. Perhaps we have certain resolutions we have made about how we can improve our lives as individuals. And surely collectively we hope for something much better in 2021 than what we endured last year. It is fitting therefore that we begin the year by asking for God’s blessing here at Mass. We do so during the Christmas season, a time in which we contemplate – like Mary does in today’s Gospel – the marvelous way in which God *has* blessed us: not by any formula of words or set of special favors, but by sending us his Son. With her, we reflect upon the mystery of how the same God who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai now dwells among us. In Jesus, God has truly visited his people.

Marianne Stokes, Madonna and Child (c. 1900)

And that mystery is itself the greatest blessing we could possibly receive. That may seem flippant to say, especially at the end of a difficult year, in the middle of a pandemic, with so many worries that we still face. But while we all have certain desires we wish to be fulfilled this year, many of which are very good and holy, the greatest thing God could do for us is to renew what he has already done: to renew within us the saving grace of his Son. Every blessing we receive finds its source in the mystery we celebrate in this Christmas season, the mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation.

So, friends, as we start the New Year, perhaps we can get off on the right foot by asking for that blessing anew. God wants to give it to us – not by helping us fulfill our resolutions, but by helping us encounter anew the mystery of Emmanuel, “God-with-us”. It is fine to ask God for the particular blessings we desire, the things he knows we need; but let’s also ask for those things which will make us more Christlike – minds more humble, hearts more devout, wills more pure, and lives in general more faithful to our relationship with him as his people. What better time than a New Year to make whatever changes we need to? 

In the name of Jesus Christ, as his priest, I am happy to give you my blessing:“The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!”