First Monday of Ordinary Time

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are all called to become fishers of men in our own way. Some of us are called to be fishers of our families to our parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Some of us are called to be fishers to our fellow children of God through priesthood or religious orders. Some of us are called to be fishers of the lost, lonely, sorrowful, and needy through volunteering and ministry. Whatever our calling might be, we all have the option to respond to it with a yes or a no. God never forces us to do good, He wants us to choose what's right because we desire to do good in imitation of Him. The disciples said yes to Jesus when he called them and left behind their old lives. Others said no for various reasons from selfishness to disbelief. We, too, face this choice every day of our lives and hopefully we choose to cast our nets into the ocean of God’s Love and Mercy and not into the sea of worldliness.

Are we following Jesus where he wants us to go? Are we willing to walk away from the world and become fishers of men? Who are we being called to fish for in our lives?

O Lord, make us fishers of men.

Amen.