Is. 8:23 – 9:3; Ps. 27:1, 4, 13-14; 1 Cor. 1:10-13, 17; Mt.4:12-17

Come after me!  This is the call to Peter and to the disciples and it is our call by our anointing.  The Epiphany of Jesus is the revelation of who Jesus is, Son of God, Son of Man, human and divine.  The arrest of John is the sign and beginning of Jesus ministry as he must increase taking up the call to repentance and the revelation of his kingdom.  It has begun as prophesied by Isaiah “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”.  Jesus is the light and we should celebrate with “abundant joy and great rejoicing”. 

Come after me.  Was it a command or an invitation?  The call to discipleship is God’s purpose for our lives but how we fulfill that purpose require not only our will but our desire.  The disciples are being called to a total surrender of themselves in what was to become the future priesthood of the church.  Why were they so readily predisposed to give up everything and follow Jesus?  These were fishermen, some married with a family to care for, living their own lives.  They also were faithful Jews, they followed their religious beliefs, they were awaiting a messiah and believed what they were seeing in Jesus. 

If Jesus came calling today, would we be prepared to recognize his voice, ready to follow or so absorbed in ourselves we would quickly dismiss the thought.  Today we see a decrease in servants of the Lord responding to the priesthood or religious life.  Why?   In short, family life is not centered on God.  God is treated as an adjunct to our personal priorities.  There is a disconnect between what we do in our life and who God is in our life. 

We baptize children so that from birth they can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and grow in the gifts of the Spirit so that when God comes calling “come after me” we recognize that call and are already predisposed by the foundation of our faith to say “yes, Lord”.  The choice was clear to the disciples because the foundation was already at work in their lives.   

In the gospel reading is the beginning of Jesus ministry as he opens the gates of heaven to Jews and Gentiles bringing unity to a divided people making all things new under one church.  In the second reading Jesus has already ascended to heaven and we are left under the care and guidance of the apostles.  How quickly we see the church becoming divided even in these early stages with Paul reminding the people to stay united.  In those days saying “I belong to Paul or I belong to Cephas” is like today a Christian saying “I belong to the Church of Christ, I belong to the Evangelical movement, or I belong to the New Wine church”. 

Many years ago, while working in a hospital, I visited a patient who the record listed him as a Baptist.  During conversation, I mentioned his religious affiliation as “Baptist” to which he quickly retorted “I am not Baptist, I am a Primitive Baptist”.  To my ignorance, I did not know there were various branches of the Baptist church.  I apologized but I could see he was offended by my ignorance.  The gospel is one and it calls us to one otherwise we are warned that the cross of Christ can become emptied of it meaning. 

The meaning of the crucifix is to repent, pick up the cross and live the sacrifice of the cross.  Non-Catholics ask why we keep Jesus crucified on the cross when he has risen.  Jesus continues to suffer for our sins and the sins of the world.  Jesus thirsts for righteousness in his people, he thirsts for a right relationship, he thirsts that we be one in the Father, through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.  If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts. 

Finally, welcome back Monsignor from your priestly retreat.  Soon Monsignor will be celebrating his 50^th anniversary as a priest.  He will also be retiring from duty to the Diocese but a priest is a priest forever.  This means a major transition in his life but as we have gotten to know him as “Mr. Yesterday” he is filling up his schedule quickly.  So, our prayers and best wishes are with him.  This also means that there will be a new sheriff in town, I mean a new Pastor to welcome.  As we are reminded by Paul today, we are followers of Christ and every Pastor is a servant of Christ and yes there will be change in the air but Christ is at the center of who we follow and trust. 

Amen.