"He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him." Peter, Andrew, James, and John's lives would never be the same. They were going about their usual business--fishing on the Sea of Galilee--when Jesus approached them and said, "Come after me." And that's just what they did. "At once they left their nets and followed him." Such a quick response to such a radical request!
What compelled these men to leave their livelihood to follow the Lord? His promise to them was that he would make them "fishers of men." Perhaps they thought that promise sounded fabulous. But it seems more likely that it was Christ himself who drew the men. There must have been something utterly attractive about him, and completely trustworthy. Otherwise, it seems unbelievable that these men would have been so quick to respond to his call.
This compelling man is the same Christ who calls us. We hear his voice in a different way, of course, through the Church and through the Bible, through his Spirit in our hearts, but it is nonetheless the same Jesus of Nazareth who asks us to follow him. Have we allowed ourselves to be drawn by his voice? Are we open to a real encounter with the Lord who changes lives?
If our relationship with Jesus does not transform us, if it does not change us into different, better people moment by moment and day by day, then chances are that we are not truly encountering him. He is too powerful to be inconsequential. It might take some courage and commitment to come into authentic contact with the Lord, but when we do, our lives will never be the same.
©2017 Liturgical Publications, Inc.
Es importante en la vida tener un plan que nos vaya llevando poco a poco a cumplir nuestros sueños y esperanzas. No podemos ser ingenieros, médicos, maestros o trabajadoras sociales sin haber estudiado con ahínco durante varios años de nuestra vida. Pero al iniciar nuestra carrera después de la graduación, ya no nos podemos detener: nos vamos con todo para ser los mejores en nuestro campo de acción. Algo parecido hizo Jesús al inicio de su ministerio en Galilea.
Todo estaba programado desde el comienzo, durante su bautismo en el Jordán. Este Evangelio nos define su programa básico. El Evangelista nos narra lo siguiente: "Conviértanse, porque ya está cerca el Reino de los cielos" (Mt 4, 17).
Este es, pues, el centro de la predicación de Jesús. Debemos convertirnos. Es decir, debemos de darle una nueva orientación a nuestra vida, comenzar de nuevo, dejar los criterios viejos y proponer a Dios un corazón limpio y adecuado a su plan de salvación. ¿Qué pensamos de esto? ¿Creemos que la sociedad está lista?
Esto es lo que el Papa Francisco nos recuerda en cada oportunidad de cercanía a nosotros. Vivir de esta manera es vivir el reino de Dios. Dios es el centro de la propia vida y de la creación.
En definitiva, no hay tiempo para hacernos tontos. La conversión trata de compromiso; de llevar el mensaje de alegría y esperanza de parte de Dios a la comunidad. ¿Lo haremos? Si nos fijamos bien, Jesús buscó y sigue buscando colaboradores y seguidores arriesgados para llevar a cabo la Nueva Evangelización que tanto necesitamos. Todos debemos de analizar si estamos respondiendo a esta propuesta de Jesús.
©2017 Liturgical Publications, Inc.
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