MATTHEW 24:12-23
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I
WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. OFTEN THE SUBJECT OF “VOCATION” CAME
UP. WE ALL KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT; IF YOU WERE A BOY, WAS GOD CALLING
YOU TO BE A PRIEST; IF YOU WERE A GIRL, WAS HE CALLING YOU TO BE A
“BRIDE OF CHRIST”, A NUN OR SISTER. WE KNEW THERE WERE MEN WHO
HAD VOCATIONS WHO WEREN'T PRIESTS, BUT IN MONTANA WE DIDN'T KNOW ANY
MONKS OR BROTHERS, AND IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THEY WERE BASICALLY MALE
NUNS, AND WHO WOULD WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE? MISSING IN OUR
DISCUSSIONS, AND LATER CORRECTED BY VATICAN II, WAS THE IDEA THAT WE
ALL HAD VOCATIONS. AND SO NOW WE TALK ABOUT VOCATIONS TO MARRIAGE,
VOCATIONS TO SINGLE LIFE, AND SO ON. AND WE'VE DILUTED THE CONCEPT
EVEN FURTHER; WE HAVE VOCATIONS TO BE PHYSICIANS, LAWYERS,
PROFESSORS, TEACHERS, AUTO MECHANICS, PLUMBERS … IN A SENSE THIS IS
GOOD, BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT GOD'S CALL TO US DOES NOT JUST MEAN
A STATE IN LIFE, BUT IT EXTENDS TO EVERYTHING WE DO, INCLUDING HOW WE
WORK; AND IT IS A REMINDER THAT THE WORK WE DO HAS DIGNITY, AND OUR
WORK IS MEANT TO FURTHER OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY AS WELL AS SERVE OUR
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. SAINT PAUL TELLS US THAT WE ALL HAVE GOD-GIVEN
GIFTS THAT WE ARE TO SHARE WITH EACH OTHER.
TODAY WE HEAR ABOUT THE
CALLING OF PETER AND ANDREW, AND JAMES AND JOHN. THEY WERE
FISHERMEN, AND IN THE GOSPEL, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY THREW ASIDE
THEIR VOCATIONS AS FISHERMEN AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED JESUS. BUT
MAYBE IT'S NOT QUITE SO ABRUPT OR SO COMPLETE. WE KNOW FROM THE
STORY OF PETER'S MOTHER IN LAW THAT JESUS AND PETER HAD BEEN
ACQUAINTED; AND WE KNOW THAT PETER DOES NOT GIVE UP FISHING; JESUS
BORROWED HIS BOAT WHEN HE PREACHED TO THE CROWDS ON THE SEASHORE, AND
AFTERWARD THERE WAS THAT MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH. AND WE KNOW PETER
SAID, AFTER THE RESURRECTION, “I AM GOING FISHING” AND WENT BACK
TO HIS TRADE UNTIL JESUS APPEARED ONCE MORE. THE CALL TO THE
DISCIPLES DID NOT INVOLVE THEM COMPLETELY GIVING UP THEIR TRADES; IN
FACT, SCHOLARS THINK THAT IT WAS MORE LIKELY THAT THEY CONTINUED IN
SOME WAY TO DO WHAT THEY HAD ALWAYS DONE; SAINT PAUL EVEN IN THE
MIDST OF HIS PREACHING MISSION STILL REPAIRED TENTS FOR A LIVING.
JESUS TELLS HIS DISCIPLES
THAT HE WILL MAKE THEM FISHERS OF MEN. HE DOESN'T SAY “APOSTLES”
OR “BISHOPS” OR “PRIESTS”. AND I THINK HE IS TELLING ALL HIS
FOLLOWERS, EVEN YOU AND I, THAT WE CAN BE FISHERS OF MEN AND WOMEN.
IT IS AFTER ALL EMBEDDED IN THE MEANING OF BEING A CHRISTIAN THAT WE
ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, THAT WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO
PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. BEING A FISHER OF MEN MUST BE
SOMETHING EVERY CHRISTIAN REGARDLESS OF EDUCATION, PHYSICAL
LIMITATIONS, MENTAL ABILITIES, OR AGE, MUST BE CAPABLE OF DOING. AND
WHEN WE ASK WHAT EVERY HUMAN BEING CAN DO TO SOME DEGREE, IT IS THAT
WE CAN ENTER INTO RELATIONSHIPS. A MOTHER ENTERS INTO A RELATIONSHIP
WITH HER UNBORN CHILD; A PARENT WITH ADVANCED ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
REMAINS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS OR HER LOVED ONES; AND BY
DEFINITION, A CHRISTIAN IS IN SOME SORT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
TO BE A FISHER OF MEN AND
WOMEN THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIPS IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING A
PLUMBER OF MEN, OR A DOCTOR OF MEN, OR A HOMEMAKER OF MEN. FISHING
IS UNIQUE, BECAUSE IT IS PASSIVE; THE FISHERMAN WAITS FOR THE FISH TO
TAKE THE BAIT; OR THE FISHERMAN PULLS A NET THROUGH THE WATER, HOPING
IT WILL ENCOUNTER A FISH. AND THAT'S HOW WE ARE TO BE FISHERS OF
MEN.
HERE ARE THE STEPS.
FIRST, WE EXAMINE OUR RELATIONSHIPS. SOME ARE VERY CLOSE, LIKE
HUSBAND AND WIFE, LIKE PARENT AND CHILD. OTHERS ARE MORE DISTANT,
LIKE CO-WORKERS. SOME ARE NEGATIVE; PEOPLE WITH WHOM WE HAVE A
TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP. SOME RELATIONSHIPS SEEM ONE-SIDED; I MAY
ADMIRE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW I EXIST. BUT EVEN HERE THERE IS A
RELATIONSHIP.
THE SECOND STEP IN BEING
A FISHER IS TO CONSIDER HOW EACH RELATIONSHIP CAN BE ENHANCED.
COMMON SENSE TELLS US THAT OUR RELATIONSHIPS PROSPER WHEN WE SPEND
MORE TIME ON THEM. JUST BEING PRESENT TO SOMEONE HELPS THE
RELATIONSHIP. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS AS WELL; LEARNING THE
INTERESTS OF THE OTHER PERSON; FORGIVING THE OTHER PERSON, FINDING
SOMETHING THE OTHER PERSON NEEDS AND FULFILLING THAT NEED IF WE CAN,
BEING A FRIEND IN OTHER WORDS. WE CAN'T IMPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIPS TO
EVERYONE IN OUR CIRCLE ALL AT ONCE, BUT WE CAN CONCENTRATE ON A FEW
AT A TIME.
THE THIRD STEP IS TO
ALLOW GOD TO WORK THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIP TO BRING THE OTHER PERSON
CLOSER TO HIM. WE MAY NOT BE AWARE OF MUCH HAPPENING, BUT BECAUSE WE
ARE IN RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST, AND BECAUSE WE ARE IN RELATIONSHIP
WITH ANOTHER PERSON, WE CAN BE “ANOTHER CHRIST” FOR THAT PERSON.
WE CAN BE ANOTHER CHRIST IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS IF THROUGH OUR LIVES WE
SHOW THAT CHRIST MEANS SOMETHING TO US AND WE ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO
BE GUIDED BY HIM IN HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES. WE CAN BE ANOTHER CHRIST
IF WE MAKE IT A PRACTICE TO DELIBERATELY PRAY FOR THAT PERSON JUST AS
JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS APOSTLES, AND PAUL PRAYED FOR THE PEOPLE HE HAD
BROUGHT TO CHRIST.
THE STORIES OF THE SAINTS
ARE FULL OF SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAME INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
BECAUSE OF ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE WHO ALREADY HAD SUCH A RELATIONSHIP.
THINK OF THE GROWTH OF THE FRANCISCAN MOVEMENT – ALL BECAUSE PEOPLE
SAW SOMETHING OF JESUS IN FRANCIS, AND SOMETHING OF FRANCIS IN HIS
FOLLOWERS. SAINT AUGUSTINE, ONE OF THE GREATEST THINKERS IN
CHRISTIANITY, WAS BROUGHT INTO THE CHURCH THROUGH HIS RELATIONSHIPS
WITH ST. AMBROSE AND WITH HIS OWN MOTHER.
AND IN THE GOSPEL STORY,
WE SEE THAT THE FISHERMEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED JESUS – NOT BECAUSE
HE WAS A STRANGER PASSING BY, BUT BECAUSE THEY KNEW HIM WELL ENOUGH
SO THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THEIR LIVES AT
HIS CALL.
SO PRAY FOR THE GRACE TO
BE FISHER OF MEN, AND THEN WORK AT IT. YOU ARE THE BAIT, AND JESUS
IS THE REAL FISHERMAN.
