Today we celebrate the return of Ordinary Time in the Church. The Christmas season ended yesterday with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and our ordinary days seem to begin again.  The Church calls it “Ordinary Time” from the word “ordinal” or counted, but in this part of the world the days are cold and dark, the holidays are over – and our lives feel very ordinary.

Today’s gospel offers us a glimpse of the lives the first apostles, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John.  We see these fishermen at work, casting and mending their nets – the usual work of those who live by the sea.  Into this ordinary work day comes Jesus, walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, calling them, offering to change their lives. 

Jesus makes the same call to us today - on what might seem to be a very ordinary day in our lives.  If we can bring our world into silence for just a few minutes and listen with our hearts, we hear Jesus say directly to each one of us, “Come and follow me.”   It is a call to follow Jesus in a new way, a deeper way.  Jesus invites us to put down the nets of our lives filled with clutter of things that distract us, anger us, make us feel jealous or insecure; distractions that keep us too busy to have a heart to heart conversation with him.  And if we drop our nets and simply decide to listen and follow him today, it will be anything but ordinary.

Jesus, help me to open my heart and find the silence in my day today to listen to your voice calling me.  Let me hear how much you love me and what you dream for me and ask of me today.  Let me feel your love.