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Pastor's Letter 20210124 - 24 January 2021 - Call, Reluctance, Repentance


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January 24th, 2021

Third Sunday-Ordinary Time

Today’s Theme:   “Call; Reluctance; Repentance”  

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“Come and I will make you fishers of men”

A Message from Father †Michael

Reflection on today’s Scripture Readings

Repentance is one of the main themes of our readings.  First, we hear about the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:1-10,) which met with an immediate and whole-hearted response from citizens in the pagan city of Nineveh.  The story shows the possibility of a heathen city repenting and turning to God.  It also shows the mercy and forgiveness of God.  If the Ninevites responded so fully to Jonah’s preaching, how much more fully should we accept and act upon Jesus’ preaching?  

Then, in order to urge us to separate ourselves from the secular world, we hear †Paul’s admonition that we should be “in the world”, but not “of it.”  Even though we can’t share his belief that the Second coming of Christ was imminent, he still presented an important message for us, namely that this world is not the be-all and end-all (1 Corinthians 7:29-31,) as we are destined for the next world, which should profoundly affect the way we live.  

The first half of Mark’s Gospel describe Jesus’ ministry of healing and preaching in Galilee, which He began by calling on people to repent and embrace the Good News.  For Mark, “Believe in the Gospel,” meant “Believe in the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.”  

Today’s Gospel selection occurs directly after the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.  Going to Galilee, He proclaims the Good News and shows the prompt response of the His first disciples to the call to follow Him (Mark 1:14-20.)   Using the metaphor, “fishers of men,” Jesus’ asks them to leave their secular occupation—interpreted as “dying to the world,” resulting in “life unto God.”  His reference to fishing can be likened to rescuing people from the snares of sinful temptation.  

The Meaning of Repentance

Jesus’ public mission began with the call, “Repent, and believe in the Good News!”   This was directed to sinners, initially, but was also directed to those who were “good,” which encompasses everyone….

Jesus had more trouble with “good people,” than He did with sinners.  This is because the most difficult people to convert are those who don’t think they are in need of conversion!   It’s challenging enough to convince those who are ill to go see a doctor, but it’s nearly impossible to succeed with someone who is convinced they are well!  Sinners, who openly admit they are sinners, didn’t cause Jesus the same difficulty.  

To answer a call to repentance, one must feel a dissatisfaction with oneself, and long for something better.  There must be a sense that something is wrong, or, at least, something is missing, for the conversion process to begin.  A person must realize that something is missing in their life, that is ‘not would it could be.”  Then first step in the journey toward salvation can begin.

Many find the idea of repentance disturbing.   A change of outlook is required along with a corresponding adjustment to a person’s actions.  Taking upon oneself the call to repentance demands openness, honesty, humility, and above all, courage—courage to put an end to self-deception and confront a painful reality; courage to admit one’s guilt; ask for forgiveness; and resolve to change.   People can become so “set in their ways:” so “sunk in their ruts” that it’s almost impossible to move them.  

Some people might imagine a better future for themselves, but be unable to “move” toward it.  They may realize this future can’t be achieved immediately; that the road forward will be long; and progress slow and painful.  Their “present self” can’t imagine living such a future—only a “transformed self” can.  This is why many people would rather be “left alone,” and choose to stay as they are.

Repentance is often presented as a harsh, negative and sad condition—as if it merely consisted in feeling guilt for sins and doing penance for them.  But repentance is quite the opposite—in fact, a positive thing.  It is true that it begins with an admission that all is not well, but it is also to discover something wonderful.   Everyone has the potential to acquire a “new vision;” take a “new direction;” set new and worthwhile goals; and live by better values.  Simply put, it opens the way to a “new life.”  Understood in this way, repentance is exciting, and always leads to joy.  

To repent means to be “converted.”   Conversion is the starting point of a spiritual journey and is a prerequisite for entry into the Kingdom of God.  The Christian life is a continuous process of conversion.  

The Call to Discipleship

Jesus proclaimed, “repent,” as John the Baptist did.  And He preached “believe in,” or “have faith in,” the Good News . People whom Jesus encountered throughout the countryside displayed different dimensions of “faith” (i.e. the friends of the paralyzed man, Jairus, the synagogue leader, the bleeding woman, the father of the epileptic son, and Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, etc.)

Next, the text introduced the brothers, (Simon and Andrew, and then James and John,) and their profession: “…for they were fishermen.” Jesus’ straightforward imperative, “follow Me” is finished with the odd formulation, “I will make you fishers of men.” This narrative in Mark shows a story from the life of Jesus that is in the process of becoming symbolic for the early believing communities.

As intended here, “fishing” is interpreted as another kind of drawing, catching and harvesting people, followers, disciples, or members of a movement, in missionary language. One kind of employment, (fishing,) will be transfigured into another, (sharing the “Good News,”) and offer another kind of provision.  Simon and Andrew responded in an instant without further conversation.   Likewise, James and John left their father, the hired men and their fishing colleagues, to follow Jesus.

Mark does not describe the tone of Jesus’ words to the fishermen—it might be imagined as an authoritative command; a gentle invitation; or a prophetic call.  In whatever manner He said it, they obeyed without question or delay.  The work of exorcising, healing, feeding, in which these disciples would join, illustrates the deadly opposition to that ministry.

As they followed Jesus, the disciples misunderstood, questioned and doubted.   They were opposed by violent powers; suffered and lost their lives and people they loved. Getting up and following Jesus, they joined a movement advanced at one time by the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist, Elijah, Elisha, and Moses. They joined a mission that has been renewed by the faithful in each generation (in modern times, by Martin Luther King, Jr. and his many colleagues in the movement for civil rights.)

Of Special Note….

The Gospels’ description of Jesus’ calling only male disciples to follow Him has been used throughout history to justify the exclusion of women from leadership in the Church.  Depictions of this story in art, and in Christian tradition, celebrate the two sets of brothers as the “classic” Christian disciples. The phrase “fishers of men” tends to obscure the reality of women having been among the community reached by Jesus’ ministry.  This is reinforced later in Mark’s Gospel: “There were also women looking on from a distance.   Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, the younger James, and of Joses, and Salome. These women followed Him when he was in Galilee and ministered to Him.   There were also many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem” (Mark 15:40-41.)

Many others may be hidden among those who demonstrated their faith in Galilee, Tyre and Sidon; the woman in the crowd (Mark 5:34;) the Syrophoenecian mother (Mark 7:24-34;) and the “anointing” one (Mark 14:3-9.) Many others that the Mark and the other Gospels do not mention are likely to have played a role in Jesus’ public ministry. Those daughters, mothers and sisters, whose following took them to the threshold of the tomb on Easter morning, also exemplify human “faith in the good news” just as brilliantly as Simon, Andrew, James, and John.

May God Richly Bless You!

‘You did not choose Me; but I chose you and appointed you; So that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” ~~John 15:16~~ 

 

To view a live stream of today's Holy Mass, click here: https://youtu.be/aZc1i_sySCc

 

Church's One Foundation, The.docx 

Edited by Father Michael
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