“The laity, however, are given this special vocation: to make the Church present and fruitful in those places and circumstances where it is only through them that she can become the salt of the earth. Thus, every lay person, through those gifts given to him, is at once the witness and the living instrument of the mission of the Church itself ‘according to the measure of Christ’s bestowal.’ (Ephesians 4:7)” [Lumen Gentium, paragraph 33]
Since the Sunday we read about Jesus’ baptism, the readings have focused on Jesus’ Mission:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Two weeks ago, we saw the respect and admiration the proclamation of that mission got Jesus. Last week we saw the rejection he received. In daily readings we have seen the adventures Jesus has had as he began to carry out his mission.
Today the focus shifts from Jesus to us: what is our mission? An answer to that question is contained in the quote above from one of the primary documents of Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.
Jesus’ mission is our mission—with one ENORMOUS difference: our mission is to LIVE OUT the Good News of God’s saving love and truth WHERE WE ARE in our ordinary daily lives.
Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8
King Uzziah was king of Judah for 52 years from 802 BCE to 750 BCE. Generally, he was a good king. His reign was a time of military security and prosperity for the people. It was generally a time of fidelity to God. But when he died, there was real uncertainty. Would young king Jotham be able to protect Judah from neighboring countries? Would he do good or evil in the sight of the Lord?
It is in this context that Isaiah had a vision of God. In that vision, God reminded Isaiah that God was the TRUE leader of Judah, then called Isaiah to be a witness for him. Isaiah demurred, “I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” God fixed that! In the vision, God had a seraphim bring a burning coal to Isaiah to touch his lips and make them clean. So Isaiah was a witness—through 66 chapters—not only speaking for God about the current troubles of Judah as it stumbled in following God’s ways, but also speaking for God of the Messiah to come.
I Corinthians 15:1-11
Between St. Paul’s chapter on Christian love we read last week and this reading in 1 Corinthians, Paul talks more in Chapter 14 about gifts of prophecy and tongues, as well as orderly worship. Now, in Chapter 15, Paul changes his focus. Now his focus is on the WHY and WHAT of spiritual gifts, loving behaviors, and right worship:
I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
Paul reminds the people of Corinth that what gifts they have or even how they worship is not what is really important. What is really important is that Jesus was the promised Messiah. As the promised Messiah he was subjected to the worst of evils (crucifixion and death) BUT HE AROSE from the dead. When he did, EVERYTHING in life changed for the better because God triumphed, good overcame evil.
Luke 5:1-11
As Luke tells the story, Jesus left Nazareth as the people turned against them and went to the nearby town of Capernaum. Capernaum was on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, about 20 miles from Nazareth. Maybe Jesus went there because he had friends there from his days of following John the Baptist: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He found out Peter’s mother-in-law was ill with a fever and cured her. As the Sabbath ended at sunset, he worked all night to heal the many people that were brought to him.
Then he moved around the Sea of Galilee to where Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishing. It was hard for Jesus to stand on the shore and teach, because the people wanted to come close to him. Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat, a practical solution. As Jesus finished speaking, he turned to Simon Peter to invite him to cast his nets in deep water. Peter objected, but followed Jesus’ advice. They have a great catch. Then Jesus said those life-changing words:
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.
“Here am I, Lord. Is it I, Lord?”
It is interesting how Mother Church puts readings together. I can read Isaiah and I Corinthians and remain on the edge of engagement. I know I am not a prophet or apostle. I can say in effect, “I’m glad to be reminded of how God calls other people.”
But then there is the Gospel.
To Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—all very ordinary people—Jesus says, “Drop your nets. Yes, you are fishermen. You are very ordinary people. You are exactly what I need to build my kingdom. I want you to use what you know as fishermen to join me and catch people. Your ordinariness makes you prime candidates to become my disciples.”
My mind then goes to the reading from Vatican II that began this reflection. Sometimes I hear people say, “The Second Coming must be soon. Heaven knows this world we live in is a mess. We need for God to come and fix it.”
But my heart in prayer says, “Heaven knows this world we live in is a mess. God calls me..and you to come fix it.”
Not with Paul’s mighty deeds or Isaiah’s prophecies. But with the ordinary enthusiasms of the Holy Spirit that God has given us: gifts of fear of the Lord, piety, fortitude, counsel, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, as well as the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Once I read of how Dan Schutte wrote “Here I Am, Lord.” It is perhaps his most famous song–based on our reading today from Isaiah. It was not a big thing when he wrote it. He said, “It was a very simple, ordinary thing. A friend asked me to write something for his ordination. I sat down to write it, and it just came out.”
That’s often how the Holy Spirit works in us to add goodness and change the world. We do a simple thing to be good to someone, and God gives it power to change the world. How many people have been moved to drop their nets by “Here I Am, Lord”?
Prayer:
Reflect on the words of “Here I Am, Lord,” perhaps while listening to it here. What ordinary way to change the world around you does Jesus call you to today? This is the chorus:
“Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?/I have heard you calling in the night./I will go, Lord, if you lead me./I will hold your people in my heart.
