Call to worship
Now is the time to change our lives — to repent and to leave our complacency, to make a radical change to follow Christ in new ways, to show deep love for all of humanity and thereby find healing for our aching hearts.
- To the point: At the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus reveals his mission to call others to repent and believe in the Good News, for “the time of fulfillment is at hand.” At the same time, he calls followers to cooperate with him in his mission. This call is made not just to Simon, Andrew, James, and John, however, but also to us. Jesus’ pronouncement and call, his mission and our discipleship, are not time-bound. Today remains the time of fulfillment: now we are the persons called to collaborate with Jesus to complete his mission.
- Connecting the Gospel (Mark 1:14-20) to the First Reading: The call to repentance delivered by Jonah to the people of Nineveh demanded they make a radical change in their manner of living. Jesus makes the same demand: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
- Connecting the Gospel to experience: The Jewish, Roman and Christian calendars all date from founding events: Jewish from the Exodus, Roman from Romulus and Remus, and Christian from Jesus. By contrast, the kingdom of God and its “time of fulfillment” are not tied to human configuration or chronological time; they are the timeless reality of God’s saving presence.
Centering prayers
The Gospel
(Mark 1: 14-20)
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
Jesus called Simon and Andrew, fishermen.
It was radical. They dropped their nets.
James and John left their boats,
and also their father, who was sitting in a boat, too.
Jesus, we know that you are calling us also,
(as unlikely a choice as were the fishermen),
to take your word and grace to everyone.
We want to leave our boats and drop our nets.
Choose us, please.
The First Reading
(Jonah 3: 1-5, 10)
The word of the Lord came to Jonah. … So Jonah made ready
and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s bidding.
When God called him, Jonah at first ran away.
God calls us to turn to him instead of running away.
Lord, when we think we have turned as far
and as often as we can help us turn again.
The Second Reading
(I Corinthians 7: 29-31)
I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
Yes, time flies — at warp speed.
Christ, let us not cling to this world.
Help us detach from everything but love.
Copyright © 2021, Anne M. Osdieck
For reflection