When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen". From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there, and saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Introductory Prayer: Jesus, what an extraordinary day in the life of your disciples! You walked into their lives and called them. Help my faith, hope and love so that I will respond to your gentle call, whatever it may be, in the same way as they did. Help me be generous and open to you in all that you ask of me.

Petition: My dear Lord Jesus, help me follow all your commandments in my life. Help me do this immediately and joyfully.
 
1. Just Walking along the Shore.  It can almost appear that this meeting of Christ with his first disciples was a chance encounter. He was out walking and saw them. The overall context tells us much more. John was in prison, and Jesus knew his time had come. A significant part of his mission for the next three years would be teaching and forming his apostles. Unknown to them up to now, these apostles had been chosen in God's mind for this call since the beginning of time, and now they hear the call for the first time. These were not chance encounters. Jesus knew those he wanted and what he would ask of them. He knows you and what he wants from you. His love and attention for you is entirely personal and very important to him.

2. A Simple Call.  When Jesus engages the rich young man later in his life, the conversation is much more involved than the brief meetings in today's Gospel reading. Jesus approaches and asks them to follow him. It is simple, and it is brief. Many other steps in their mission will be made known later. For now: Follow me! We should not spend our lives waiting for God's call to do something great and in the process miss the many and frequent simple calls everyday: calls to be more charitable with our friends and family, calls to be more patient, calls to be more generous in helping a neighbor in need, calls to be firmer in the face of peer pressure, calls to be genuine in my life. Be generous in the small things and then you will be generous in the greater things, Christ said.

3. They Left Everything. The disciples' response was heroic. They followed immediately, totally and joyfully. His will is made manifest to me through the norms and laws of His Church, through the indications of those in legitimate authority over me, through the duties of my state in life as a friend, a student, a baptized Catholic, a person making life-decisions. Do I respond selflessly? Or do I count the cost and negotiate a deal before I follow him: What can I get out of this? You will get an eternity of bliss out of this, but only if you follow him.

Conversation:  Lord, I need to understand better that you desire a personal and intimate relationship with me like no other. Your desire for me to do your will and then spend eternity with you moves you to call me not once, but many times in my life, to a greater fidelity to your commandments. I am unique in your eyes. Each and every person in the world has this unique relationship with you. Help me live mine better. What can I do better to show my gratitude for your call? For your graces? Help me see that it makes a difference to you how I respond. I am not a number or a statistic for you. I am a soul that was worth dying for.

Questionnaire:
 
1. When was the last time I asked Christ what he wanted of me and for me, and how I can serve Him, rather than simply asking him for what I want?

2. W hat simple calls from Christ am I overlooking or ignoring in my daily life? How can I be more generous in the little things so I am prepared to be generous in the greater things?
 
3. What is my attitude to God's Will in my life?