'Yes' to Being Christ's Disciples

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington
(From the issue of 2/12/04)

The following homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde during the Mass for the fifth Sunday in ordinary time at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington on Feb. 8.

Is there some way we could summarize the basic theme of today’s three scripture readings, especially the Gospel? Let me propose this summary: the call to discipleship. In a very real way, we are witnessing in today’s Gospel the call of Jesus to Peter, James and John to become disciples. Their call was prefigured centuries before in the call of the Lord to Isaiah, which we heard in today’s first reading. That same call was repeated in a different way to St. Paul as he tells us in today’s second reading. More importantly, this call to discipleship is being renewed right now as the Lord again says to each of us: "Put out into deep water. … Do not be afraid." Yes, Jesus is calling us too to be His disciples.

The disciple is the one who hears the Lord’s call and follows. Now, every call to be a disciple begins with the Lord. He intervenes in some way in that person’s life and, then, that person, in response to God’s intervention, follows in obedient faith and accepts the mission given by the Lord. This process of God’s calling a person to be a disciple and that person’s willingness to accept and to be sent on mission is so clear in each of today’s scripture readings.

God intervened in Isaiah’s life: "I saw the Lord." God calls him: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Isaiah responded willingly and was sent: "Here I am … send me."

Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, intervened in Simon Peter’s life and in the lives of James and John. After teaching the crowds from Peter’s boat, from which He clearly chose to speak, He directed Simon to "put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon explained how futile this probably would be because they had caught nothing all night long, but, nonetheless, he obeyed and "they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing." Simon Peter fell at the feet of Jesus and said: "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." But Jesus replied to Simon Peter — and to James and John: "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." So, Simon and Zebedee’s sons responded: "They left everything and followed him."

St. Paul had persecuted the first disciples but the Lord intervened: "Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me." Yes, Jesus called Paul to follow and Paul responded: " … I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective."

This same process of God’s calling a person to be a disciple and that person’s willingness to accept and to be sent on mission takes place in each of our lives as well. God intervenes through those unique seven signs or sacraments, in every meeting with Him that takes place in prayer, in His living word, the Holy Scriptures. Each time, we are being called again to be disciples, to renew our "yes" of obedient faith. As we respond with a willing mind and heart, the Lord draws us closer to Him and sends us forth in His name to participate in the mission of the Church.

How aware are we that this process of call and response is happening? Made more aware today, will we be more eager and willing to say "yes"? What is keeping us from giving a willing response? Can we identify it and leave it behind so that we can more fully and freely follow Jesus, as did Peter, James and John?

Of course, we are weak, limited — indeed, sinful. So was Isaiah: "Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips." So was Simon Peter: "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." So was Paul: " … I persecuted the church of God." Yet, the Lord called each of these as He now calls us, even though we are not perfect and, in fact, sinful. He says to us what He said to Simon Peter and the sons of Zebedee: "Do not be afraid." In His strength and not in our own, do we find the ability to respond with a willing "yes." As we prayed in the Opening Prayer: " … all our hope is in you."

Yes, today, Jesus is intervening in our lives and renewing His invitation to be His disciples. Let us, each one, respond with a joyful "yes," with a willing mind and heart.

We are encouraged this day to renew our willingness to be Christ’s disciples by the witness and example of those men and women who are living the consecrated life: vowed religious and members of the secular institutes. Today is World Day for Consecrated Life and throughout the United States, we Catholics are united in prayer and in gratitude for these men and women, who heard the Lord’s call to them to enter the consecrated life as religious priests, brothers and sisters and as members of the secular institutes. We thank God for their presence in this parish and in our diocese. We ask God to keep them faithful to their specific vocations. We point to them as we invite the younger members of our Church to be open to God’s call to them to also become religious priests, sisters, brothers and members of the secular institutes. By prayer and personal encouragement, may all those whom God is calling to the consecrated life reply with a willing "yes," so that the concluding scene in today’s Gospel may be relived in them: " … they left everything and followed him."

Yes, the call to discipleship is taking place right now! There is no doubt that Jesus is calling us to follow Him as His disciples. What hangs in the balance is our response. Let it be "yes!"

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