From Fr. Tom,
According to most scripture scholars and church history experts, the span of Jesus’ public ministry lasted about three years culminating with his crucifixion and resurrection. In today’s gospel reading from Matthew, we hear about the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the choosing of a few fishermen to help him. You and I are the followers of Jesus in today’s world hopefully making a holy difference in the lives of others. Imagine being present when Jesus asked the fishermen to follow him. What would we do if Jesus asked us to follow him? He is doing exactly that! He wants our total dedication and there should be nothing standing between Him and us. If this is not the case in our lives right now, then we need to pray for a conversion to rid our lives of needless distractions and false gods. This “metanoia,” or change, is not an instantaneous event. It is a deeply internal readdressing of life toward choosing God’s will for us. Then we will be well-equipped to carry on the ministry of love and service Jesus started long ago. Let us pray for each other.
