Cone After Me

 Matthew 4: 18-22

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

What  power of attraction did Jesus exercise over Peter, Andrew, James and John!  They left their jobs, their families, to follow this man who had no home, and no job.  What a risk, or did they see something in him that was beyond the ordinary?    This was only the beginning of a three year experience of walking from village to village watching Jesus heal and hearing him preach, and doing the same at his command. 

Do I hear the invitation to "Come, follow me"?   How best can I follow him, even if I am married and have a job?  There is plenty of time and room to follow him more closely.  Will my Advent reflections and prayer help me to be a more active disciple than I have already been?

Bro. Rene

O, Christ, we have heard your voice. We have felt your eyes upon us. And we have turned and dropped our nets. We follow you, with one shaky foot after the other. What will you have us do now? We follow you not because we know where you lead us, but because we know it is you, O Christ, who leads. Our hands often itch for the sureness of the nets we knew before. But now we hold our hands open in faith. Lead on, Master, to deeper and wilder waters. Amen.

  Rev. Michael Thomas, C.S.C.