Sexagesima Sunday 24 Feb 2019 Sermon

Sexagesima Sunday 24.2.19 The Call

There is cost to being a disciple. We cannot be entirely passive before God; He expects us to do some work, to carry some part of His Cross.

God has taken the initiative in creating us, and then in saving us. We are required to respond – in body and soul; all that we have.

One disciple who responded very fully was St Paul. We have his story in the epistle today. He is not your normal disciple; a great deal better than ‘normal’. He does certainly rattle our complacency, if we are suffering from any.

There is a paradox here in our faith, that the more we commit to following Our Lord the more trouble we are likely to see.

We might expect that as the great Healer and Miracle Worker He would give us an easier life, if we stick close to Him.

But look at St Paul and countless other saints. They suffered all sorts of things. Yet they did not consider themselves to have been cheated by Our Lord, as though He had lured them into some kind of false hope.

The saints did not mind the suffering because they did not dwell on it. They were more interested in expressing love for God. When we love enough we do not count the cost (Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as You deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Your will. (St Ignatius of Loyola)

The saints teach us detachment. We are a bit afraid of the path they took. We may be happy with the miracles but not the suffering.

God never tests us beyond our capacity, we are assured. What He will do, however, is  stretch our capacity to love, and with that our willingness to suffer. We look for the love not the suffering. We forget ourselves, as the saints did.

Being Christian is not just theory; we really have to put ourselves on the line.

It is a specific transaction between Him and us, Him and me. He speaks directly to each potential disciple, and asks them to Come, Follow Me.

If we were one of the Twelve Apostles it would be easier to see. They were mending their nets and Our Lord approached them. They must have felt special at being part of such a small band, and able to share so closely in all that He was doing. But we come along after millions of others have been called, and we might feel somewhat less important as a result.

It may look to us that we are just part of a large crowd, but He knows each one of us inside out.

And each call is on the same basis as the original Twelve. See yourself on the seashore, mending your nets, and He comes along. What will you answer?

He wants you, and you in particular.

We discount ourselves in a kind of false humility. He  would not want me, etc.

If we respond as He wants it will be like a St Paul, with maybe less drama. But the principle is the same: Do with me what Thou wilt.

You have created me, saved me, and now called me. I accept that call; please help me to do that, and with full commitment. We can ask Him to be gentle with us at first; He will know what we can take, and will arrange things mercifully.

Anyway there is nowhere else to go (cf Jn 6, 68).