Word to the Wise
Sunday, February 6, 2022 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[Isa 6:1-2a, 3-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11; Luke 5:1-11]" Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us:" "Here I am," I said; "send me!" [Isaiah] "For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective." [1 Corinthians] "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. [Luke]
Once in a while, all three Sunday scriptures touch on the same subject. This Sunday there is a definite emphasis on "the call" to discipleship, even if "discipleship " would probably not have been a word that Isaiah would have used. What is common to Isaiah, Paul and Simon Peter is their reaction to the call: "Who? Me? You gotta be kidding!" This reaction follows rather dramatic manifestations of God's interest in all three of them. Isaiah has a vision in the temple. Paul has a blinding encounter on the road to Damascus. Simon Peter has an overloaded boat and tearing nets. God does have a way of getting one's attention.
Sigh! Those three had it easy compared with the ordinary way God's call is manifested. The word "subtle" does come to mind. That "subtle" call begins at baptism and remains. It is activated and manifested in many different ways. Occasionally we feel it inside ourselves. Sometimes a friend or acquaintance will urge us to use our life and talents in a ministry, whether full or part time. I hear these stories often in giving retreats for priests, sisters/nuns and deacons/spouses. In my own case, I later found the story of Moses and the burning bush helpful to describe my experience. ("You are going to do this!" "No I'm not!" "Yes you are"! ""Okay, okay! I guess you know what you're getting!") When I was ordained, however, the quote from Isaiah (above) was on one of the commemorative cards I gave out.
The upshot of all this is that we have all been "called" if we are baptized. It's like a small ember implanted in us that catches fire depending on the surrounding circumstances. Sometimes, like Isaiah, there's a burning coal, but mostly it's like the Lord knocking two rocks together to ignite us. AMEN