Come After Me

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'

Going on from there, he saw two brothers, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John. . . . Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." [Matthew 4:12-21]

Imagine that; hearing the invitation of Jesus, immediately dropping one's livelihood and even leaving one's father and following him?

We might say, Okay, things were different then. What was the hard life of being a fisherman, compared to following Jesus, becoming one of his apostles?

Even today, though, we are called to follow Jesus, his Way, his Truth. But HOW?

Maybe you will be called to refrain from gossiping, to refuse the temptation of judging others? Maybe you will be called to maintain your integrity on the job, while all around you others are siphoning off office supplies for themselves, or fudging their time cards? Maybe you will be called to offer the olive branch of peace to your brother or sister, when you were not the one to start the fight or to let the battle descend into verbal abuse?

Maybe you will be called to refuse to take sides in a couple's ugly separation or divorce? Maybe you will be called to love even the most hateful people in your life, even though they refused to stand in the receiving line at your wedding, because you married a Catholic?

Maybe you will be called to be faithful to God's Way, over your parents' way?

Are you willing to choose God over your parents? And how immediately, how unhesitatingly, would you be able you make this choice?

It is hard to be a Christian. It requires sometimes radical choices, as radical as dropping one's net, leaving behind one's father's ways, and putting Jesus first!

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