Transformed Nets

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary remind us that the path of our lives is changeable. Maureen McCannWaldron of Creighton University notes that liturgically, the Church moves into a cycle of days which are tracked by numbers, ordinal numbers, known as Ordinary Time. The temptation to settle our expectations into a sense of bland sameness certainly is supported by the season of the year and the letdown from Christmas activity. As we may tend to our nets like the fishers in the Gospel of Mark our innate radar for opportunity may still detect disturbances which are calling us to change. Mark describes Jesus moving among these men and inviting them to follow Him. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the charismatic presence of Jesus attracts these men. This pattern was common among the rabbis who gathered followers in the time of Jesus but Friar Jude points out that Galilee fishers were not the usual disciples of the religious scholars. This beginning of Jesus ministry by gathering a community of unusual seekers who will be re directed to use their existing talents in the service of the Body is a model of our loving relationship with God. Our present situation is our starting point. Our vocation and mission is to direct our being to service through Love. We will use all the gifts we have received, and we will acquire many more as we put down our nets used for personal gain and join our brothers and sisters in communities to exercise our gifts with nets transformed to be a charismatic call to many to join us working in the Body.