Explosive Gospel: Sunday, Third week in Ordinary Time 2012

Sunday January 22, 2012

Third Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

 

Almighty ever living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works through our Lord Jesus Christ…

 

GOSPEL MK 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:

"This is the time of fulfillment.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

 

 

 

THREE MOMENTS

1) A look of love – Meditation and Contemplation – It is the moment to contemplate and meditate on the text.  We do this in order to gather the maximum love that Christ, through his Word, wants to give us.  Look with love at the Word and the Word will look back at you with love!  It reveals to us the infinite love of Jesus for us. 

 

The Gospel of this Sunday is filled with a special joy, “the time of fulfillment is here!” What we have been waiting for has finally come, and I can see Jesus beginning his journey… Oh my, the God of all creation walks our earth and calls simple, poor fishermen to join him as he begins the process of concluding the greatest of all love stories – he wants us with him for always! God is crazy in love with his creatures, and he has finally had enough, he has come to take us home to the Father. Our redemption is had hand. The Savior is here!!

 

2) The Word challenges – We are confronted by the Word not only in love, but also in the way it enlightens us as to where we must grow or where there may be contradictions in our lives personally or in the community.

 

Jesus calls his first apostles in the ordinariness of their lives. They are fishing, working, doing what they do everyday to earn a living. Their hearts must have felt something  move deep within their souls, something that caused them to do what only lovers will do, leave everything and follow.  These simple men, whose lives were settled and in order, left all their worldly possessions and all sense of security! Why, because he called them. Love spoke. Their hearts answered him, not their common sense. The answer was, yes, by the grace of God they answered, yes and followed him unreservedly!

 

3) The Word gives direction.  It is a prophecy in the sense of insight for future action.  We are invited in the third moment to apostolic action.  It is where the members of the Movement are invited to make a commitment to become prophets of the Gospel that revolutionizes their lives. 

 

The invitation for me is to ponder deeply our God’s insistent love, that has pursued not only those motley fishermen of time past, but he is pursuing me today in my ordinariness. He stirs me to leave any worldly affection that would stop me from following him unreservedly. He calls me daily to put down my nets and join him in being a fisher of my brothers and sisters. He invites me to assist others too, to pay attention to their hearts, to learn to discern his will, and to know and experience his relentless love for them. He is calling us all to let go, run, and leap into arms that have longed to welcome us in love from all eternity. Our God, incarnate loves us with outstretched arms on the cross, and enkindles in all the fire of his love.

 

Oh Lord, direct my actions to your good pleasure that in the name of your beloved Son, I will persist in seeking others in union with you so that the time of fulfillment will be completed, and we will all be one in your embrace forever in eternity. Amen.  

 

TJM

 

 

Explosive Gospel: Sunday, Third week in Ordinary Time 2012