Jan 25 Sun
Did Christ ever call me?
As Christians, Christ seeks us out in our work, as He did the Apostles.
Christ could have called his Apostles in other situations, but He sought them out precisely in their work. Opus Dei's spirit “hinges upon ordinary work, professional work carried out in the midst of the world. God's calling gives us a mission: it invites us to share in the unique task of the Church, to bear witness to Christ before our fellow men and so draw all things toward God."
“If you ask me how to discern the Christian call, if you ask me how to recognize it, I will tell you that it is a new vision of life. It is as though a light had been lit within us: a mysterious impulse which drives a person to dedicate his noblest energies to something that, in time, becomes a way of life. This vital force is rather like an avalanche; it is what others call the Christian vocation."
“The calling discloses to us the meaning of our existence. It means being convinced, through faith, of the reason for our life on earth. Our life, the present, past, and future, acquires a new dimension, a depth we did not perceive before. All happenings and events now fall within their true perspective: we understand where God is leading us, and we feel ourselves borne along by this task entrusted to us."
“God draws us from the shadows of our ignorance, our groping through history, and, no matter what our occupation in the world, he calls us with a strong voice, as he once called Peter and Andrew: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Thus, we co-redeem with Christ. God gives everything, and He asks for everything. In choosing us as his instruments, He wants to make use of our whole being, our intellect, our will, and all our faculties. When God chooses people for a special job, He prepares them and endows them with the ability to do it.
Our vocation is a sign of God's special love for us. As such, it requires a prompt and generous response on our part, similar to that given by the Apostles.
“Peter and Andrew were at their jobs, as was Matthew in his tax collector's booth. Jesus calls them at their place of work, while they are fishing. Right away, they left their nets and followed him immediately, without thinking twice. Matters of love are not to be thought over too much. Otherwise, they don't get done. I am sure our parents didn't think too much about whether or not they should get married. Otherwise, they would never have gotten married, and we wouldn't be in the world."
God's call is not restricted to a particular period in our life. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world. And so, his invitation to come, follow me, is repeated at every moment of our life.
Let us consider carefully whether we have followed Jesus in the same way: immediately, straight away, leaving our nets behind... And if we haven't, there is still time for us to cut any ties and give ourselves once and for all.