I remember growing up asking my mom, “How will I know when I’m in love?” She’d always say, “My son, you’ll just know.”
I’m sure many of us have fallen in love. Can you remember that moment when you had butterflies in your stomach and you said to yourself, “She’s perfect!” Or, “He’s Mr. Right!” Or, “That’s the person I’m going to marry!”
A similar feeling happened when I realized God was inviting me to become a priest. It was like a moment frozen in time; I knew it was right.
And if you’re still married, or if you were married for many years, I’m sure you’d agree that saying “yes” is something that you must do repeatedly; remaining faithful in a marriage is a daily decision, much like living as a faithful priest, or as a disciple.
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In today’s Gospel, Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Maybe they didn’t have butterflies in their stomach, but they were converted on the spot.
So why were they able to drop their nets, leave their jobs and their families behind, and follow him? Were they in love? What was it about Jesus that moved them so deeply?
The simple answer is, “we don’t know.” But we can certainly speculate.
Jesus was a magnetic figure, filled with wisdom and power. His popularity spread quickly throughout the surrounding region as he performed miracles, instantly changing peoples’ lives.
Just as we “know” about celebrities, even if we’ve never met them, so these simple fishermen knew about Jesus before he set foot in their town.
Like many others, they admired Jesus from a distance, but they probably felt unworthy to approach him. Why would a man so powerful care about them – poor, uneducated, insignificant fishermen?
But they dreamed, they hoped, they might have even talked about Jesus together. Thus, when he issued the call, “Follow me,” they were READY.
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But as we travel with the Apostles through the Gospels, they’ll remind us that saying “yes” to Jesus was a daily decision. It doesn’t happen only once. And it never got easier. For example, what was the last thing Peter said about Jesus before Jesus was crucified? “I do not know him…”
Discipleship is always a challenge. But we are always invited by Jesus to say yes, just like the Apostles.
Perhaps we remember that moment when he first called us like the disciples in Galilee, or maybe we’ve always been blessed with faith. But we must always be open to his voice.
It’s not enough to know what Jesus said at the Sea of Galilee. We must also be ready to hear his voice in our own hearts…. and act on it.
Often God’s voice comes in subtle ways. Maybe he’ll speak to us through a conversation with friend or a priest. Maybe he’ll speak to us through a line in a book, a letter from a friend, or a scene from a movie.
These promptings can be just as much of a call from Jesus as the one he issued at the Sea of Galilee. Like the Apostles, we must be ready to act.
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Where is Jesus asking me to drop my nets and follow him? What is he asking me to leave behind? Is it a hurtful relationship, a stressful job, or a pesky sin?
Or is he asking me to start a new chapter in my life, one that requires an ever-deeper sense of faith?
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Jesus didn’t tell his disciples exactly what their future would bring, only that they would mysteriously fish for men. All that was clear to them was the call.
The same is true for us. We don’t know what the future holds, but the call from Jesus is clear. He says to us today, “Drop your nets and follow me.”
Are we ready to say yes?