Come, Follow Me

Written by Rev. Fr. Orly Mendoza | 17 January 2012

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Green) Cycle B, Year II (January 22, 2012)
Jon 3:1-5, 10/1Cor 7:29-31/Mk 1:14-20

After Christmas Season, we began the ordinary time with the two important feasts in the early life of Jesus: the Baptism of the Lord and the Santo Niño. This Sunday, the Gospel tells us about Jesus walking along by the lake of Galilee. As He walked by, He invited some fishermen, the ordinary people, to follow Him and these became His first disciples. They knew Jesus already because they already saw Him preaching in the synagogues. Jesus did not convince them with His wisdom and understanding. He simply appealed to them with the totality of His person saying to them: “Come, follow me! And I will make you fishers of men” (Mk 1:17).

Nowadays, it is hard to feel the call of Christ because first of all Jesus does not show Himself to us the way He showed Himself 2,000 years ago. Second of all, the too much materialism, secularism and consumerism distract us from feeling the call of Christ and encountering Him in our daily activities. Indeed, Jesus comes into our lives in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives just like how He came to call His first disciples. He calls us to follow Him by being honest and fair in our works and businesses; by being just and humble in our dealings with other people; by giving our best service of love and care to those under our responsibilities and power; and by being compassionate and generous to those who are in need of help in one way or another. 

“Come, follow me!” When the fishermen heard these words of Jesus, they abandoned their nets, boats and families and began to follow Jesus. What is striking to these ordinary people is their disposition to abandon everything for the Lord. They left their jobs and securities; they abandoned their families and refuge. They entrusted their whole lives to the Lord and submitted their present and future to the Will of God. More strikingly is the fastness of their obedience to the call of God. They immediately obeyed the call of the Lord, without hesitation, doubt or reservation. 

There is a story about the Desert fathers. “Four monks of Scetis, clothed in skins, came one day to see the great Pambo. Each one revealed the virtue of his neighbor. The first fasted a great deal; the second was poor; the third had acquired great charity; and they said of the fourth that he had lived for twenty-two year in obedience to an old man. Abba Pambo said to them, ‘I tell you, the virtue of this last one is the greatest. Each of the others has obtained the virtue he wished to acquire; but the last one, restraining his own will, does the will of another. Now it is of such men that the martyrs are made, if they persevere to the end.’”

As we continue to begin the Ordinary Season in our Church Calendar, Jesus addresses to us His words to the first disciples: “Come, follow me!” Let us learn from the examples of the four disciples and the four monks how they followed Jesus Christ. What is important is we obey His call, committing ourselves to be faithful followers of Jesus in our ordinary life situations. There is no need to literally abandon everything. What is a must is that we become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ by living Christ’s teachings in our work, leisure and other activities.