Simon and Andrew were fishing. James and John were in their boat with their father, repairing nets. Maybe Simon and Andrew had had a bad night’s catch and were trying to fill it out with what they could get during the day. They were hot and sweaty, hard at it, tired maybe, or focused expectantly on the waters. Possibly James and John had caught so many fish that their nets tore; or, things were so slow that they had time for the intricate work of mending nets.

But when Jesus called, “immediately they left their nets and followed him. . . . They left their father in the boat . . . and followed” (Mark 1:18, 20). Immediately. They weren’t expecting this. They had other things to do. But Simon and Andrew didn’t wait until they hauled in their catch. James and John didn’t finish fixing the nets. Instead, they dropped everything and went to follow Jesus.

God’s call to us can come any time, too—even in the middle of a busy workday. Like Simon and Andrew, we work hard, whether it’s reeling in fish, fixing a computer, closing a big sale, or meeting a tough deadline. Right in the middle of a staff meeting, the Holy Spirit might prompt us to pray for someone. Or just as we’re trying to cheer our local football team to victory, we might suddenly “think” of someone we ought to call. Can we, like they, drop what we’re doing to respond to Jesus? Is anything more important than responding to his call in our life?

St. Augustine once said that God has promised forgiveness to our repentance, but he has not promised tomorrow to our procrastination. Jesus calls very few people away from jobs and family. But every day he has words he wants to say and tasks that require a response from us. We may never see the results in this life, but our faithfulness does have eternal results. We can do what he asks, for he never asks more than he equips us to do.

“Jesus, open my ears to hear you today, and my heart to respond to you. I will put my trust in you.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1.    In the first reading, when the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s warning of God’s impending judgment on their city, they believed the words and repented of their sins. Why do you think the Ninevites believed Jonah’s message? (Hint: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah” (Jonah 3:1))

2.    In the responsorial psalm, we ask the Lord to teach us his ways and guide us. How important is it to you to have a specific time each day when you pray and try to “listen” to the Lord? What are some of the obstacles to this in your life? How important is it to turn to the Lord during the day and ask him to guide you? What are some of the obstacles to this in your life?

3.    St. Paul’s words in the second reading (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) may seem harsh and impractical to us today. What message do you believe Paul was trying to convey in these words? In what ways can we apply the principle put forth in his message to our lives today?

4.    In the Gospel reading, Jesus, like Jonah, preached a message of repentance. Unlike the people of Nineveh, many people rejected his message. Jesus pointed to this fact as well in Matthew 12:41: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” Why do you think people would reject Jesus’ message of repentance, but not Jonah’s?

5.    What did Jesus mean, in the Gospel reading, when he said to his disciples, “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:16)? How would you react if you heard Jesus say these same words to you?

6.    In what ways do you believe that God has called you as Catholic men to be his witness and be “fishers of men”? What are some obstacles that keep you from answering this call of evangelization? Discuss some possible ways your men’s group can be fishers of men to others.

7.    What is your reaction to these words in the meditation? “St. Augustine once said that God has promised forgiveness to our repentance, but he has not promised tomorrow to our procrastination.”

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen