The Primary task of the Christian in Ordinary Time is to discover what Jesus’ mission entails because it gives the central clues to each of us about what our own core mission is.  What am I doing here on earth?  Why was I born with my gifts and talents?  What has my upbringing and background prepared me to do in life?  Is this just a kind of generalized mission; to be law abiding, kind, honest and so forth, or is it more particular; I have been gifted to accomplish a specific task at this time in history?

These questions, in many ways, summarize the central search of every human being.  For Saint Ignatius, these questions are so important that they form the focus of The Spiritual Exercises and guide us to becoming the full members of Christ’s Body that every Christian is called to be.  The questions focus on our discovery that God knows and loves every aspect of the created order and longs to it to be what it was designed to be.

The questions also specify some of the dilemma that Christ entered the created order to respond to.  The Christian Tradition has always taught that creation is created to fulfill a “plan” of God – Saint Paul identifies it in several letters as the “plan hidden for generations past but now revealed” in Christ. 

The first reading today, from Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the Apostle tells us that he prays that we have a knowledge of God’s will – that is the desire and plan of God for all creation.  When we understand that according to God’s will we belong to God – that each one of us is special to God – then in gratitude we want to collaborate with God in accomplishing that will.  To do so is our joy and completeness and we bear much fruit as humans created to know and love God, one another and all the rest of creation.  To behave so is to enter God’s Reign of joy and peace.  We can call this the general will or desire of God.

But is there a special desire that God has for each of us?  Do we discover that there is a work that we can accomplish better than others might?  Is there a person to love that we are called to recognize?  Are there tasks on behalf of God’s Reign that we can do best at this moment of history?  We not only ask that question for ourselves individually but together groups of Christians might ask that question because of our gifts and talents, because of our placement in geography, because of our training and opportunities?  Why was Moses chosen to lead the Jewish people home from Egypt?  Why did John the Baptist preach as he did?  Why did Mary have a child that is not the child of her beloved Joseph? Why did Peter become the first leader of the Church?

The second reading hints at this important discovery with the story of Peter and his friends who are fishermen by family, training and geographical location by the Sea of Galilee.  These men know the work of gathering fish to sell and eat, but Jesus uses their gifts and training to invite them to a new work – if they will do it as God asks, in God’s time and God’s place.  This particular will also includes the important work of reconciliation – Peter recognizes in the Love expressed by Jesus, that he is a sinful person. But Jesus not only brings Peter into the circle of his deep and personal love, he applies his background and training  of fishing to the work of the Father.  From now on these men will serve as “fishers of human persons” by preaching the good news.  By his witness, other persons discover God’s love and live according to God’s desire.  These apostles were very successful at this work – even outside of time and place – because they did it for Jesus and the Father.  The Spirit empowered them with this capacity.

Ignatius tells us that doing the Father’s Will in our lives is the most important thing we can possibly do.  We will be successful (according to God’s definition) if we seek the knowledge of God’s will both general and particular through prayer and gratitude for God’s attention to us.

I pray today that Paul’s words will challenge me to seek, and that Jesus’ invitation will continue to ring in my ear and my heart as I constantly rediscover what I am “for” in this world.  Why was I born?  To do the Father’s Will.  And so were you.