In “another” life, I was a Human Resources Director. I wonder now about Jesus’ style of recruitment and hiring. No ads in the paper or on the Internet, no review of resumes, no initial phone interviews, followed by face to face interviews of a few, and definitely no reference checking!
Just good old-fashioned simple sizing up of the future disciples face to face and putting forth the employment offer, such as it was. “Come and follow me now and become fishers of men,” whatever that might have meant. Jesus must have had some charisma.
How do we know this? Because they dropped their nets and left the men they were working with including, for James and John, their own father.
Perhaps it would be worth the time to pray today’s Gospel, using Ignatian contemplation, that is, using your imagination to enter the scene and employing your senses to assist you. What does the scene look like? Who all is there? What are the smells? What character are you? Knowing that Jesus calls all of us to accompany Him, what precisely does He say to you? And what do you respond?
Note that the Church places this Gospel on the day after Christ’s Baptism. It’s as if now that He had become aware of His identity and His mission, He was taking no time to enlist the help of others to get on with it. At 30, He may have been eager to get going.
Near the beginning of a New Year is a great time for spending time, perhaps a bit of time every day, listening for Jesus’ specific call and preparing for the generosity to answer when you hear it.
Last year, I heard the statement: “All interruptions are invitations.” And therein may be the most significant calls in a day.
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Since its inception in 1997, Online Ministries has been blessed to have myriad members of the Creighton University community offer their personal reflections on the daily scripture readings.
