Fishers Of Men
Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Jesus sometimes asks people to leave their homes, their families, everything, in order to do his work. That is what we find him doing in regard to Peter, James, and John. They had been fishermen. When he called them to become “fishers of men,” we are told they “left everything and became his followers.” For the majority of people, though, to become fishers of men and women such a sacrifice is not necessary.
Most people are not asked by Christ to leave their homes and towns in order to do his work. In fact, it is in their very homes and towns where God wants them to stay. It is there they are needed most. It is there that without them, others might miss out on some very important actions of God. All Christians are meant to be signs of God’s love in the world. Those signs are just as necessary at home as they are abroad. Where Christians find themselves is most often where Christ wants them to stay. It is there that through them and in them he wants to bring his love and forgiveness to others in their lives.
Whether you are one who has left all to do God’s work, whether you have never left town, home, family, or job, you are a person through whom Christ wishes to reach others. You can do that best by allowing yourself to continue to grow in his likeness. You have been called by Christ to do some fishing for him. Maybe the lake with all those fish is right in your own back yard.
