St. Bartholomew Church

You may be able to relate to this.  Every now and then when my cell phone rings,  I look at whose calling, and I stop and think for a minute.....do I really want to deal with this person right now....and so I hit ignore, and go back to whatever I was doing.  I think about feeling bad for doing that, but then I realize that given the person who was calling, it probably just meant more drama in my life - and that doesn't help anyone,  and so I really don't feel bad at all for putting them off.

That's fine for annoying friends and whatnot.  But it's not fine with God.  The readings today speak of God calling out to us - he called out to the people of Nineveh to repent, and to Jonah's surprise, they actually repented and listen to God.  In the Gospel, Jesus also tells us to repent, and then he calls out to those who would be his apostles, and immediately they left their nets, they left their former lives behind, and they followed Him. 

How about us?  We use that ignore button way too much in our lives.  We have become so good at ignoring God, because we are so caught up in our own selfishness, our own plans, our own narrow vision of reality. 

          It's not Lent yet, but we need to heed the message of the Scriptures this weekend - God is calling to us to repent - to turn away from what we have done in the past and to follow him - will we? or will we just keep hitting ignore?. 

          We get so stuck in our own messes - we get so stuck in the wretchedness that can be our lives sometimes - we get so stuck in our own selfishness.  If our life is not fulfilling, if it's not flourishing or if we feel like we are lost or sinking, maybe its time to actually listen to God - to actually trust that His way is the right way and that he knows best, and we do not.  Maybe it's time that we set aside the stupid - and live our lives as he calls us to, for His purpose, for His plan, that we might share in His promise.

          Regardless of what the past has been, like the people of Nineveh and those first disciples, let us pray for the grace to repent and abandon it all, and to actually follow God, and nothing else.  But the first step is to make sure we actually take his call.  God help us all. +