“After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:

‘This is the time of fulfillment.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel.’

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.’

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.”

At the beginning of Jesus’s public life in Mark’s Gospel, he proclaims the good news of the kingdom and calls his first disciples. Like so often, being familiar with the story we miss how unlikely Jesus’s choice was. Like the first to hear proclaimed to them the birth of the messiah (shepherds watching their flocks by night), fishermen were not likely candidates or a preferred recruiting pool for disciples. It is a surprising choice. They were not highly educated, socially refined, or people of great influence. They were hard working, sun baked, and rough around the edges. At one point in seminary, feeling my own insecurities and sense of inadequacy, I said to Archbishop Kelly, “I’m not sure I fit the mold for priesthood.” Without missing a beat, he replied, “Well, I don’t ordain robots.” God calls us, each and every one, as who we are. Are we worthy? No, but he calls us. Do we fit the mold? No, but he calls us. You see, it’s really about God and not about us. One definition of humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. When God calls you, trust him. Yes, God knows what he’s doing. 

Jesus calls us. We respond, but not always well. Our own plans and ideas sometimes preclude us from even listening for God’s call. That is itself a response. Our busyness, distractions, sufferings, aspirations, or agendas may lead us to respond with a no, not yet, or not that. Simon, Andrew, James and John left their nets and boats. They were receptive to Jesus’s call. Mary was receptive to the message of the Angel Gabriel. Jesus, himself, was receptive to the Father’s will and embraced the cross. Are we receptive? Are we open to possibilities? Do we trust God is at work? Will we die to self? Last week’s first reading about the call of Samuel gives us an example of receptivity, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Receptivity, then, is an entrance into the Christian spiritual tradition of discernment. Discernment helps us to align our wills to God’s will and make decisions, good decisions, about how to follow God. My discernment of priesthood lasted years of prayer, experiences, direction, and formation. It’s not always a quick process, but it begins with receptivity. God is calling you. Listen and follow. Yes, God knows what he is doing.