January 25, 2021
Editor’s note: This reflection was originally published on Fr. Mark-David’s Facebook page.
Jesus the Christ barges into life when we are doing something else.
Simon (Peter) and Andrew were “casting nets into the sea.”
James and John, who had fished during the night, were done,
and “putting their nets into order.
They were not out looking for Jesus. He came to them.
He had need of them, and he needed them now.
Whether they were tired of fishing, or bored,
or simply curious we will never know.
All we know, is that they followed him.
Clear definitive moments like that, are rare.
We meet the person we love and must marry.
We hear the music, encounter the math,
read the story, play the sport,
Discover our inner entrepreneur,
Perhaps the religious vocation that sings out to us,
Whatever our interests, we purse them the rest of our lives.
While the God of love can work like that,
Uttering through nature, our personality, or those of others,
Clarion calls our hearts ever follow.
Mostly that does not happen.
Jesus the Christ barges into our lives
when we are doing something else.
At work, finishing work, bored, tired, or curious,
God the Holy Spirit groans within us: I need you.
I need you to do something, to be something, more.
Details are not forthcoming,
Not anymore than they were for Simon-Peter,
Andrew, James or John.
Like us, Jesus told them nothing.
What God needs us for, that comes later.
I can assure you of only two things,
First, God will speak to you, groan within you,
nag you, until you listen.
Second, while the details are missing, the direction, the inspiration,
the strength to do what we must, comes from Jesus the Christ.
His story, his words, his actions, his hopes and dreams and visions,
And yes, even his death,
and what only be called his resurrection,
Start us out on the journey.
That is what God needs us for, to continue the journey Jesus began,
The journey, the Risen Christ continues.
The journey our life is about.
In religious language,
The journey we take with the Risen Christ, is called holiness.
Holiness being nothing more, or less,
Then our life journey accompanied by the Holy Spirit,
The Spirit of Holiness,
The Spirit taught and sent by Jesus the Christ.
It comes without details, that is what we are for,
Our lives, filling in the details of holiness,
For a world that badly needs more of it.
Holiness is for the working day.
Pope Francis describes it for us:
“We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love
and by bearing witness in everything we do,
wherever we find ourselves.
Are you called to the consecrated life?
Be holy by living out your commitment with joy.
Are you married?
Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife,
as Christ does for the Church.
Do you work for a living?
Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill
in the service of your brothers and sisters.
Are you a parent or grandparent?
Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus.
Are you in a position of authority?
Be holy by working for the common good
and renouncing personal gain.”
This “everyday holiness” as Pope Francis refers to it,
Is the work of our lives.
Lives strengthened by the Holy Spirit
and inspired by the Risen Christ.
We do not journey alone.
We journey together, in that mystical communion we call Church.
Fellow travelers, we are often lost, but we are never alone.
God has given us to each other as companions for the journey.
Why do we celebrate the Sabbath?
It reminds us that we are needed.
It refreshes our hearts with the words, actions and stories of the Christ.
Though our individual paths be somewhat different
It reminds that we are on the journey together.
In union, in communion with the Risen Christ
In communion with each other-
in what we call the Mystical Body of Christ.
As we journey down the road, from time to time
We barge into people’s lives,
People who may not have been looking for us,
People busy, or tired, or bored,
People sick, afflicted, outcast,
Homeless, hungry, lonely.
It is our turn, by whatever way we know best,
to tell them, God needs them.
It is our turn to invite them to join us in the journey.
Amen.
Paulist Fr. Mark David Janus is president of Paulist Press.