Readings: Jonah 3.1-5, 10 / Responsorial Psalm 25.4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R/v 4a) / I Corinthians 7.29-31 / Mark 1.14-20
“Come here right now!” “When are you ever going to grow up!” Haven’t we all heard these words growing up? Haven’t we used them as parents or teachers?
As harsh as these words may sound when we speak them or when they are spoken to us, they come out of hearts that care and are concerned about another’s wellbeing. In fact, these words express heartfelt, even urgent, desires for the best to happen to those we love and care for, and that these may happen more quickly.
Like a mother, our Church cares that we grow up well and healthy in our faith and life. She utters the same sentiments that we grow up; we hear this message through the Church’s teachings and mass readings and through the examples of saints. Today’s readings do this too; they invite us to ‘grow-into’ our relationships with God and to ‘get on with God’s program’ for our lives.
The Old Testament prophets did the same: they reminded and challenged Israel to grow in God’s ways. Jonah does exactly this in our first reading: he goes through Nineveh calling everyone, from the king to the servant, to conversion. The Ninevites hear; they repent; they conformed their lives to God’s ways. And God’s heart softened; instead of punishing them, God mercifully embraced them into God’s love again.
Do we hear God’s call to conversion? Do we change our hearts and lives? God invites us to grow up and live in God’s ways in such diverse ways as the Church’s catechism, Pope Francis’ homilies, and friends’ invitations to us to pray more or to learn about the faith. Aren’t these God’s invitations to love God by transforming our lives to live in God’s ways, and not fearfully love God by observing rules and laws?
In our second reading, Paul urges us to attend to God’s calls of conversion with a sense of urgency. “I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.” We have to do more than just listen to these calls; we have to respond to them quickly, if not immediately. For Paul, Christians can do this when we wake up to the truth that God has come and is in our midst to save us. But God needs us our permission to save us; God just needs us to say, “yes, Lord.”
Are you and I saying “yes” to God enough times and in the many situations of temptations? Do we let the grace of urgency shape our response to God daily?
When all is said and done, however, the Christian truth is that God in Jesus will always come to us first, and always, even before we reach out to God. Jesus always calls us first into his good company. Then, as we come to know him more clearly, and follow him more closely, and love him more dearly, Jesus will speak God’s loving words, “grow up in my ways.”
The first words John the Baptist proclaims in the Gospels are, “Repent, the kingdom of God is hand.” In comparison, Jesus’ first words are, “This is the time of fulfillment; the kingdom of God is at hand.” This difference shows us that God in Jesus loves us so much to be with us by doing what God does best: to reach out to us first and always. Hence, we should not convert out of fear that God will damned us eternally for our sins. No, we should convert in gratitude because God wants to share life with us, however sinful we are, now and forever.
We see this holy reality in today’s gospel reading. Like Jonah, Jesus comes to call God’s people to a new way of living and loving. He comes into the everydayness of how people live and work, pray and play. His coming is the sign of God’s coming into human time and space. His coming then proclaims that this is now the time to begin being God’s people again. How come? Because God is now with us -- not just once in history but always with us into eternity
As parents call children "time after time," so Jesus repeatedly calls us to follow Him into God’s "good life" which is already in our midst. Jesus makes the same call to all humankind, from all times past to all times to come. His calls ought to wake us up to what truly matters in life: being with God always by letting God save us.
And don’t we especially hear Jesus’ call when we are entangled in the messiness and the littleness of our lives, as Jesus’ first followers were? Or, when we experience losses and tragedies that spin our heads and hearts, leaving us to struggle with that annoying question, "what's it all about?"
As unbelievable as it is, these difficult moments are graced. In and through them, God calls us to grow and to get on with our Christian lives. God does not call us as the harsh, threatening and chastising parent. Rather, God’s call is that of the faithful parent whose assuring, consoling and warm timbre expresses her love that only wants her child to becomes more fully who he is, the beloved in whom we see the fullness of family resemblance. We each show forth our resemblance to God when we say ‘yes’ to changing our lives around to live in God’s ways.
Are you and I saying “yes’ often enough when God calls us to conversion? Do we give God permission to let God grow us up?
Our lovingly patient God desires nothing more than to labor for our conversion. God came to Nineveh through Jonah; the Ninevites heard and responded. God came to the first disciples when Jesus walked past their boats; they heard and they followed. Today, God comes to us again. Not because time is running out on us. Rather, because it is in time that we encounter Jesus who shows us how God’s love is gently pursuing us to more and more conform our lives to God’s life for us.
Yes, it is indeed in our human time -- often deemed ordinary; sometimes, extraordinary --that we will grow up slowly but surely in God’s ways. As we begin this new year, you and I are being asked to give Jesus a listen. This is how we can once again meet Jesus to follow him by choosing to live in his Christ-like way this year.
It is indeed in the times of our lives that you and I will always keep running into Jesus. And each time we do, he will simply ask us, "come follow me."
(Inspired in parts by Larry Gillick, SJ)
Preached at St Ignatius Church, Singapore
photo: from the Internet (www.welingelichtenkringen.nl)
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