Open to the Call

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are stories of calling. Samuel, the seer, recognizes that the Lord is calling Saul to be the king of the Israelites. As Jesus continues his public ministry , He encounters Levi, a tax collector. He invites Levi to follow him. Mark relates that many of the “tax collectors and sinners” followed Jesus and joined Him in a meal. Where will our imagination place us in these episodes? If we are acting to call out the best in people, how inviting is our “Follow Me”? If we hear an invitation to “Follow Me”, have we acted to join that group for a time? Open ears and open arms seem to be characteristics of called and calling. There also seems to be a requirement to move and change with new companions for the leader and to new companions for the called.