Mass Reading & Meditation for January 25, 2015 Catholic Meditations Meditation: Mark 1:14-20 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Mark 1:17) Fishing seems relatively easy, doesn’t it? You throw a line into the water and hope a fish will bite the hook. But that simple notion undermines the skill necessary to be a true fisherman. When people pay thousands of dollars to enter national fishing contests, they aren’t depending on simple luck. They’re counting on the skills they have learned over a long period of time. Similarly, when Jesus told Simon and Andrew and the others, “I will make you fishers of men,” he meant that he wanted to teach them the art of evangelization (Mark 1:17). And that’s what he wants to do with us as well. He wants to teach us how to reach people with the good news. If you want to be a fisherman for Christ, you first have to know your “fish.” You have to know that many of them have a hard time seeing the beauty of the gospel because they are distracted by so many other things. You have to know that sin may have hardened the hearts of some. But you also have to know that God’s grace can penetrate the veil over any person’s heart—as long as you, the fisherman, remain humble and open to his grace. So here are three suggestions that will help make you into a vessel of grace: First, ask God to give you a desire to share his good news. Second, find the courage to ask people, even strangers, “Can I pray with you about anything?” You’d be surprised at how many people are open to a quiet, nonthreatening invitation. Third, invite people to join you at Mass. Offer to come and get them if they can’t make it on their own. Take them out to breakfast afterward. Become a friend, and your love for Christ will rub off on them. Three simple steps. Three simple ways to let the grace of the Holy Spirit work through you. So it isn’t too hard to be a fisherman after all! “Lord Jesus, make me a vessel of your grace.” Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 25:4-9 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 11:32:13 +0000
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