Second Sunday after Pentecost, Octoechos Tone 1; The Holy Martyr Agrippina
Apostles’ Fast.
Read
Romans 2:10-16; Matthew 4:18-23
Simon (Peter) and Andrew, James and John, two sets of brothers who left their families and their livelihoods to follow Jesus. This is how radical is to be a follower (disciple) of the Lord. Even the world will say to every follower of Jesus: “Now wait a minute. How are you going to look after yourself? From where will come your food, your clothes, your bed, your shelter? Think about this… it just sounds rather, you know, crazy!”
For these four men, it is not as if the Lord just appeared to them on the shore that morning and said, “Follow me.” Matthew leaves out the details of previous encounters, especially that of these same four catching an incredible number of fishes, at the command of the Lord, after a fruitless all-night endeavour: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch” (see Luke 5:1-11). They had heard the call to repentance of the Forerunner, John; they had heard the Lord teach, even from their own boat. These successive encounters with the Lord led to this point—a point of radical renunciation of their old life and to follow Him in the new life offered to Him.
Pardon the pun—all of us who are baptized find ourselves in the same boat as these four Apostles. We have heard the call of repentance and heard His teaching and have already started this radical life of discipleship (Baptism). We can answer the world: When I trust in Jesus the Lord and all His grace which He provides, and when I work with that grace, allow it to be active in my soul, cooperate with it, I have no anxieties or worries of this world.
As we ponder the Good News News today, let us renew that call to radical discipleship to the Lord along with Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
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