Homily 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - January 22, 2023

Readings can be found here.

            What do you want to do when you grow up?  That’s a typical question children get asked.  Especially for high school students, choosing a career path can be an important decision.  When I was young, I wanted to be an engineer.  At least, my parents told me I should be an engineer and that sounded like a good idea.  When I got to college, I started taking courses and realized that’s not what I wanted to do.  Instead, I studied chemistry.  After graduation, I spend five years in the Navy. When I left military service, I went to work in the electroplating industry as a chemist.  I worked several years in that field and realized I didn’t like being a chemist either.  I went back to school and earned certifications in computer support and now have a career in IT that I love.  If you had told me back in high school I would be an IT professional, I likely wouldn’t have believed you.  It wasn’t even on my radar as a possibility.

            Another thing I never thought about doing was becoming a deacon.  The idea never crossed my mind.  I’d been involved in different ministries in my parish prior to beginning formation for the deaconate.  At the time, I had a sense that God was calling me to some new ministry.  However, I wasn’t discerning the Spirit calling me to anything specific.  One day at work, I overheard a couple of coworkers talking about getting involved in charity work again.  They had been members of a particular organization and were considering becoming active once more.

As I listened, I recalled that there was a diaconal information meeting that evening at my parish.  And it occurred to me that I should go.  I can’t explain the desire, just that it was strong.  When I got home that evening, I told my wife I was planning on going to the meeting and asked if she wanted to come.  She was a bit dumbstruck and asked where that idea came from.  The topic had literally never come up.  While she didn’t join me, I did attend the meeting.  That started me down the path leading to ordination.  Being an IT professional and a deacon is not at all how I thought my life would go.

I bet Peter, Andrew, James, and John also had a different idea of how their lives would go.  They probably thought they would eventually take over the family business, fishing.  They worked with their fathers and it would be natural to continue the tradition.  And then one day, while they were busy working, Jesus came by and said, “Follow me.  I will make you fishers of men.”  And they dropped everything and followed Him.  Jesus didn’t call them after praying with them.  He didn’t call them after performing some miracle or sharing a meal.   Jesus called them while they were actively fishing or mending their nets.  In the middle of their work day.

We may think that God only speaks to us when we’re praying or in times of quiet.  Or only when we’re actively listening for God.  However, God speaks to us all the time.  Not only in prayer, but through the Scriptures, or through encounters with others.  God also speaks to us while we work, or play, or go about our daily activities.  Whether we’re listening for Him or not.  We need to pay attention at all times.  God may be trying to speak to us at times we least expect.

What can we do to listen for God more closely?  Reading Scripture more often is a way we can start.  God speaks to us directly through His Word.  Reflecting on Scripture can help us hear what God is saying in our lives today.  The readings for Mass each day can be found on the USCCB website.  The liturgy of the hours contains psalms and Old and New Testament readings.  Praying even one of the hours, like morning or evening prayer, can help us to hear God in our lives.  We also can be more mindful to look for God as we interact with others during our day.  Whenever we have a moment after interacting others, reflect briefly on where you may have seen or heard Jesus.  It can be after a meeting at work, or after a conversation with a friend.  Or perhaps, like in my case, just overhearing another conversation.  We can reflect on the things we see and hear in passing throughout the day.  We can actively look for and listen to God in everything we do.

Jesus asked Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him while they were at work with their fathers.  They heard Jesus’ call and immediately followed Him.  Are we listening for Jesus speaking to us?  Are we ready to respond to Jesus right away, even if He’s asking something we’ve never considered?  Are we willing to follow Jesus and see where our lives go from there?


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