Jesus calls the twelve fishermen to drop everything to follow him. And they did. But what does this mean for most of us today, what does this radical calling have anything to do with our own lives, now? I certainly haven’t given up EVERYTHING to follow the Lord. I find the calling of the twelve, a radical calling indeed, to be very hard to relate to.
The vast majority of us simply are not called to drop everything and take a vow of poverty. Actually, that would be irresponsible, and even sinful, because most of us live in a world of family, work, and civic engagement. We have to pay bills, raise children, build a family, care for those who are sick. A huge part of our lives involves working in a career or vocation that places many demands upon us.
The only way I can make sense of this “calling” and how it relates to most of us is to not give up everything but to GIVE everything over to God. This especially includes the people we live dearly. They all, ultimately, belong to God; our possessions, our wealth, our talents, our accomplishments, even our failures, all belong to God. A great prayer is to simply say to God, “I give everything I have and everything I am to you,Lord.”
When this prayer is made daily, with gratitude and sincerity, we no longer “possess” ANYTHING but experience EVERYTHING as a gift to be cherished. This attitude, in my opinion, is just as radical as dropping everything, giving up everything, for the lord.
Peace,
Fr. Frank