Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Heavenly Father,
at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son:
may we recognize him as our Lord
and know ourselves to be your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
Psalm 116. 10-15
How shall I repay the Lord
for all the benefits he has given to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.
O Lord, I am your servant,
your servant, the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon the name of the Lord.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Mark 1.14-20
After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Reflection
Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fish for people.
These words opened the door on to a whole new world for four ordinary, hard-working fishermen plying their trade on the Sea of Galilee. The daily lives of Simon and Andrew, James and John would have been strenuous and practical. No matter how strong their faith, their daily talk would have revolved around the seaworthiness of their boats and the size of their daily catch, and not on where God might lead them in the future. If such matter were discussed it would probably have centred on the wonders of God’s creation and the way their lives were interwoven with those wonders. Then, one day, the Son of God stood before them and said: Follow me and I will make you fish for people.
The challenge of today’s reading is both obvious and complex. It is obvious in the sense that we are being invited to reflect upon our response to God’s call into a new life of discipleship and apostleship. It is complex because, should we hear God’s call above the clamour of our daily lives, our response will almost certainly be tempered by our prioritisation of worldly considerations.
As we think about the obvious and the complex, we should pause and consider our reaction to a word that occurs twice in today’s reading: Immediately. We have no detailed knowledge of the commitments Simon and Andrew, James and John were leaving behind as they responded to Jesus’ call, but we do know that their response was immediate. Those four ordinary men heard the call to follow Christ, and responded without hesitation. How does that leave us feeling as we consistently dither and delay, prevaricate and ignore Jesus’ words to us: Follow me?
The life of discipleship and apostleship is not for the ‘super holy’. It is a calling for all of us. It does not matter how ‘ordinary’, or even ‘inadequate’, we might feel … Jesus is still saying: Follow me.
The nature of Jesus’ call will be different for each and every one of us, but that call is real and ever-present. Let us pray that we might take that leap of faith and follow the path Christ has laid for us. Let us pray that we might tread that path joyfully. Let us pray that our journey of faith might lead others to respond to Christ’s call: Immediately.
Prayers of intercession
Let us pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom in the Church and in the world.
Keep the Church ever obedient to the call of God, to fulfil the mission entrusted to her. Bless with strength and perseverance those who are called to be ministers of the gospel.
Bless those who have gone out into the world, forsaking much for the sake of the gospel. May their message be heard for the peace of the nations and for peace in human hearts.
As we go to our daily work, keep us mindful of the faith to which we have been called. Make us ready to serve others and to tell the good news of the Kingdom.
Have compassion on those who are lonely when loved ones have gone away to follow new paths of life. Give them assurance of the divine love that is always with them, and the human love which endures in absence.
We remember those who have ended their work in the world and come to the Kingdom. Let the voice which first called them to faith now call them home to glory.
May our prayers be accepted through Christ who calls us to follow him.
Prayer for the week
Loving Father, we pray for all
who are any way troubled at this time.
Give relief to those in pain,
friendship to those who are alone,
reassurance to those in doubt or distress of mind;
and may our love be so strong that seeing need
we may never pass by on the other side.
We make our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ,
our loving Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
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