God’s call and our response - 1

This post was for yesterday. There was a technical problem with my blog site yesterday. So here is what you should have read yesterday. Better late than never, is one of life's lessons. Believe it or not!

The first movement between Jesus and the trio, Peter, James and John was at the transfiguration as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel 17:1-8. The next time we will meet them will be at the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46. They who saw the glory of Christ on the mountain peak would witness his agony on the garden ground. Jesus called these men to be in communion with him, to see his glory and splendor on that most beautiful mountain. He also called them to be his support team during the lowest moment of his life as he struggled to do the will of his father in that garden. He longed to have their company, to feel their love and support and to have them pray with him.

In the Catholic tradition, the idea of vocation (call) was vey much restricted to the priesthood and religious life. It is important to note however, that this special call to serve in ministry, rests upon the general and the most basic call of all extended to every human being irrespective of creed, tribe, color or nation, the call to life, to exist and to be human sharing in the humanity of all. This call extends to yet another call, namely, a call to a new existence, to belong to the community of God’s people.

In the book of Genesis 12:1, we see God calling Abram to “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” Abram’s call and the call extended to us by God imply three elements, Namely God’s free choice, God’s mission and finally God’s promise. For us to get the promise however, we have to respond to God’s call. In the next posting, I will explain what these elements mean to us and how we are to respond to God’s call if we are to share in his promises.