"Judge with charity
all that you see others doing.
When this is not possible,
excuse them and pray for them."
--St. Francis de Sales
"Judge with charity
all that you see others doing.
When this is not possible,
excuse them and pray for them."
--St. Francis de Sales
January 11, 2021
Monday of the First
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 305
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he spoke to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a Son to me?
And again, when he leads the first born into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him.
Responsorial Psalm
R.
(see 7c) Let all his angels worship him.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Let all his angels worship him.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
Let all his angels worship him.
R. Let all his angels worship him.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. Let all his angels worship him.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God
is at hand;
repent and believe
in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
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THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY IN EVANGELIZATION
In today's Gospel passage, Jesus proclaims: "The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!" Do you know anyone who's on the wrong path, sinning, away from God, away from the Church? How we wish we could successfully convey Christ's invitation to them. We wonder: How can we do it?
Observe how Jesus did it. He gathered a team and formed them into a community. By his example, he shows us that we are never meant to evangelize alone. If you're the only one inviting a coworker or family member to recognize their need for Christ, the message conveyed is that you're an odd-ball fanatic who should be ignored. But when God sends one messenger after another into that person's life, each delivering the message in their own unique ways, the reign of God becomes more obviously real.
And when that person is invited into a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly, the reign of God becomes desirable! (This is why every parish needs to -- by divinely ordained accountability -- examine how welcoming they are and how to improve.)
Whom have you tried to evangelize but failed? Fear not! Our individual failures are not the end of God's plan: We are only part of the plan. We are not the Savior; we are the fisher-men and -women who use our own lives as bait to attract others to his love. But it takes more than one person to handle the net that catches them.
Notice that the disciples abandoned the net they had made to answer the call of Jesus. Simon, Andrew, James and John were already experiencing community with each other; we can imagine the camaraderie and commiserating they shared after a hard day's work. But Jesus invited them to become part of a bigger community with a greater purpose.
What do you have to let go of in order to follow Jesus into community and its collaborative mission of evangelization? Your individualism? A too-busy schedule that caters to your own private goals? A fear of inadequacy? A lazy attitude that God will send someone else to do the work? Community is the cure for all of these sins!
As a Christian, you belong to the same community that the Apostles joined. What are you doing to help it with its outreach mission? What are you doing to receive growth and strength and support from the community so you can do what God has called you to do? What are you doing to build a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly so that the reign of God becomes desirable to those who come to church after a long time away?
Today's Prayer
Jesus, You meet me where I am and offer me eternal life. Grant me the grace that I never reject Your love and Your mercy. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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