They would have decided this is a call they need to answer. They would have heard about the miraculous birth by Mary of Nazareth and the boy from Nazareth who taught with authority in the temple. They would look at their screen and see a number from Nazareth. Perhaps the call had a number and a location, but no name. Instead, they recognized that this is ‘spam’ that they most desperately need. They could have rejected the call immediately. They could have thought that he was just one more. Was it “potential spam”? There were a lot of itinerate preachers traveling through Galilee. ![]() This speaks volumes to the magnetism and message of Jesus Instead, they left their entire life behind to follow a stranger. If they didn’t know Jesus, it would have been easy to reject the call. Was it “caller unknown”? The gospel doesn’t say whether the fishermen knew Jesus before they were called. If they received the call on their smart phone, what did the screen say? Jesus then called James and John, Andrew and Simon. He began preaching the same message as John. “John has been arrested.” John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus, went about the countryside preaching the message, “Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now it was Jesus’ turn to continue what John had started. In the beginning of the gospel, Jesus receives a new call. Do I answer the call, or let it go to voice mail? I usually know what the Lord wants me to do. Some calls most definitely have a caller ID: the Lord. Is the Lord calling me to give thanks or is it just a beautiful sunrise? Is this call from the Lord or from another? For instance, I see a beautiful sunrise. ![]() A call from Houston TX?” For those calls, I need to look at the circumstances of my life and determine whether this is a call I should answer or ignore. The call comes and the screen doesn’t give me complete information. The Lord is not giving me spam, but showing me ways to get to know him through a change of habits, a new way of praying, and a new way of loving others. But if the call is from the Lord, it is something I desperately need. I dismiss it as someone offering me something that I do not want. The call comes but the screen says ‘potential spam’. I don’t recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking to me amidst all of the other voices. That means I need to get to know the Lord better. The Lord calls and the screen says “caller unknown”. Now, let’s turn to how these relate to a call from the Lord. Some calls come with a name For these calls I have to decide: Do I answer the call or let it go to voice mail? Is there a retreat this weekend where people are coming from far away? These calls I sometimes answer and sometimes don’t depending on the circumstances. “Who do I know Houston TX? ” I used to terminate these calls too, but working at a conference center I get calls from people coming from all over the country. Some calls have a number and a location, but no name. For others, my phone gives me a little more information. For some calls, the screen says “Caller Unknown”. When I get a call, my smartphone tells me some information about the caller. One is what do you do when you get a call on your phone? The other, what do you do when you get a call from the Lord? The two are related. Jesus called them, and immediately they left their boatĪnd their father and followed him. Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
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