The Urgent Call of Discipleship: Reflections on the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Beloved parishioners,

Thank you for your participation at the diocesan Corpus Christi procession in Warsaw. I saw some pictures from the event, and wished I attended. But my prayers were with you as you spent time in adoration and proclaiming your faith in our Eucharistic Lord. Now that the 3-year Eucharistic Revival has begun I hope that we will all seize this moment to continue to deepen our faith in the Eucharist by regular attendance at Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.

The readings for this weekend suggest that the call of God requires our urgent but free response. It leaves no room for delays. In the First Reading, the Lord calls Elisha to be a supporter and helper of Elijah. Although Elisha wanted to follow Elijah, he however asked for leave so he could kiss his parents goodbye. Elijah’s response was negative. He seems to tell the young man to go back as if he did not need him. In the Gospel we see a similar attitude in the response of Jesus to the one who though was willing to obey his call to follow him but wanted to first bury his father. Jesus told him to let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. As if to drive home the importance of answering his call over any other concerns, Jesus said, “no one who sets his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven.”

It was not Elijah who called Elisha, but God. Elisha did not know this at first, but when he came to understand this, there was no going back for him. He proved this by slaughtering all his family’s oxen and used their yokes for firewood to cook them and gave the flesh to his servants to eat. He was certain he was not returning home; not after what he had done to the family’s oxen.

How often God calls us and instead of responding with dispatch we linger. We take our time to finish what we were doing before we respond, if at all we respond. We seem to think God should wait for us. We often do not notice the urgency in the call of God and we are too preoccupied with our own concerns that God’s call is not considered a priority. Today the Lord calls us to examine our response to his call. Jesus called Peter and Paul, whose solemnity we celebrate this week. Even though they did not understand the ramifications of the call, they immediately left everything and followed him. And once they knew who it was that called them, they were willing to hazard the peril that came with the call. They paid the ultimate price in answer to this call.

One of the distinguishing characteristics between a disciple and a fan is the way one responds to God’s call. The Danish theologian, Søren Kierkegaard, once said that what Jesus wants is followers not admirers. It is easier to admire than to follow. This is because admiring can be done from a distance, and with no obligations on the admirer. On the other hand, following Jesus often calls for a change in the location and manner of life of the one who follows. Following Jesus might bring us face to face with misunderstanding and hostilities. But Jesus shows us how to respond with compassion and nonviolence. He does not approve the request of James and John who wanted revenge on the Samaritans for resisting them as they sought to pass through their city to Jerusalem. Instead, he rebukes them. God calls us directly, and sometimes indirectly. It is important to discern who is calling, as proper discernment leads to proper response. If we thought our call had a human origin, our response might be different. But as believers, we know that our call is from God. And this knowledge challenges us to respond quickly, and to do so with all our heart.

We welcome Fr. William Ikhianosimhe Orbih as parochial vicar to our parish. In this role, he will assist me in the pastoral and spiritual care of our parish. I ask that you keep us in your prayers as we strive to lead you according to the mind of Christ and His Church.

May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!