Called for Conversion Through Penance, and Called to Follow Christ in His Way Now! - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

As the Baptism of the Lord signals the beginning not only of the public theophany of Jesus, Theos-Logos incarnate, but also his public ministry, we began the Ordinary Time after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Now we have come to the third week in the Ordinary Time. The Liturgy of the Word for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time on Cycle B  with Johan 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20 bears two main running themes: conversion upon repentance and responding to a call into the discipleship.

In the First Reading (Jonah 3:1-5, 10), Prophet Jonah was called to proclaim God’s message in Nineveh. At first, he rejected the call and tried to go as far away as he could from God. But, he failed in this attempt and repented (Jonah 1 -2). Upon his conversion, God called Jonah once again for his mission in Nineveh, and he responded obediently and wen there for the Ninevites to repent and convert from their wicked way of life to God. As a result, they abandoned their wicked life style and turned to God, thus being spared from God’s punishment. Jonah’s mission was successful. The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9) sings the Israelites’ desire of conversion, turning away from sinful life to God, their desire to live the way of God, who is loving and compassionate and righteous. Now in juxtaposition to the Israelites’ desire in this Psalm, we sing our need and desire to repent and convert from sinful life to the life that God teaches and leads with this refrain, “Teach me your ways, O Lord. Your ways, O lord”. The Second Reading (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) is about a sense of immediacy for the Parousia in Paul’s preaching in order to stand ready for Christ’s return all the time. Today, we read this passage to remember that we need to be ready at any time to be called by Christ to follow his way – to the discipleship at any time. And, to follow Christ, we need to be in the state of grace at all times. Thus, we also reflect our need of conversion to be able to respond to Christ’s call to follow him on his way as his disciple and to be sent out on mission as his apostles, at any time, because the Kingdom of God is at hand, as Christ himself proclaimed (Mark 1:15).

The Gospel Reading (Mark 1:14-20) depicts how Jesus began his public ministry, after his Baptism (Mark 1:9-11) and being tested in the wilderness for 40 days and nights (Mark 1:12-13 – this will be read on the First Sunday of Lent, B). And this Gospel text comes with two parts: vv. 14-15 on Christ’s initial public preaching on penance and conversion for the Kingdom of God ; vv. 16-20 on Christ’s call of the first batch of disciples to reflect the two-fold theme of this Sunday: penance and conversion, responding to God’s call to follow Christ as his disciples and to be sent out as his apostles upon being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

In the first part, Mark indicates that it was also when John the Baptist  was no longer in public, conducting his ministry of baptism with water as he was arrested by Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great (Mark 1:14-15). When John the Baptist public ministry ended, Christ in Jesus began his public ministry, according to Mark. So, as Jesus began his public preaching, John the Baptist’s teaching of penance for forgiveness through baptism with water (Mark 1:4) was reflected in the context of the imminence of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). While John the Baptist called for repentance as the public appearance of Christ was imminent (Mark 1:1-8), Christ in Jesus called for repentance as the Kingdom of God was at hand upon his public appearance and ministry (Mark 1:15). Obviously, we must be in the state of grace to be fit for the Kingdom.

In the second part, Mark describes how Jesus recruited the first four disciples by the Sea of Galilee. All of these first disciples were fishermen and two sets of brothers. First, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. Then, James (James the Greater) and John. It is important to note that none of these fishermen in Galilee neither had expected to encounter nor had met Christ. In fact, it is likely that these fishermen did not know who this man, Jesus, who was calling them to follow was at all. After all, Christ in Jesus was from Nazareth, but these fishermen were from around Capernaum. Nevertheless, all of them immediately followed Jesus, though they did not know he is Christ yet. Just imagine what was on these fishermen’s minds when they followed Jesus straightforward, not even asking who he was and what his callings was for. They just abandoned their families and fishing career simply to follow this man, Jesus, without knowing who he really was yet, without knowing that he is, in fact, Christ, whom John the Baptist prophesized for his coming as the one to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, with fishermen’s instinct, they must have sensed something worthy of leaving their fishing business behind to follow Jesus, without knowing that he is Christ. For Simon and Andrew, these words of Jesus, “I will make you fishers of men”(Mark 1:17) could have triggered their interest in following him. Perhaps, Jesus repeated these words to James and John, as well, for them to follow him, as Simon and Andrew did.

Place yourself about 2,000 years ago in this fishing town of Capernaum on the coast of Sea of Galilee. You and your brother or friends just finished fishing for the day. So, you were mending nets on the boat. Then, a man you have never met and do not know walked by and calling you, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”(Mark 1:17), as Jesus said to Simon and Andrew. What would you do? Would you drop everything and leave the boat and follow this man, whom you don’t know yet? Or, would you negotiate with him, telling something like, “We’d like to. But, hey, we are busy now as you can see. So, can we talk about that when we are done taking care of the net? Or, would you respond by saying something like, “What do you mean by ‘fisher of men’?” Or, would you just ignore him because you don’t know him?

There is something profoundly important in the fact that these fishermen of Galilee, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, did not ask any question, did not negotiate, but simply followed Jesus, dropping everything, even though they knew nothing about him but only knowing that following him would make them “fisher of men”. And, see if you would follow their suit why or why not?

If something that turns you away, then, you must have something like what made Jonah turn himself away from God when he was called for the first time. Then, what is it in you that can turn you away from the voice of Christ, “Come after me”? Anxiety toward the unknown?

Whatever it maybe, if you have something that prevents you from responding to Christ’s call immediately with your affirmation, it is important to revisit the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) and reflect on Paul’s teaching on imminence. And, understand that this is not about being impulsive in our response.

If Jonah responded to God’s call on mission for the Ninevites’ conversion as these Galilean fishermen did to Jesus’ call, then, the conversion of the Ninevites would have taken place much sooner.

So, would you like Salvation and the Kingdom to be delayed because you just do not feel like responding with affirmation to Jesus’ call immediately?

Think of Mary at the Annunciation and her fiat to God’s call to serve Him as the Theotokos (Luke 1:26-38). Though she had no idea what the call was about at all and felt troubled at once, not only it was unbeknownst to her but it made no sense to her at all, she accepted her call to give birth to the incarnated Christ so that he can make his theophany and engage in his public ministry. What if she rejected her call and aborted the conceived Christ incarnate? What if something delayed the conception simply because Mary had become too anxious and was not ready to respond to her call?

Mary made no delay in her response to her call. So, Jesus, who is Christ, was born on time in God’s master plan. Simon, Andrew, James, and John wasted no time in their response to Jesus’ call. So, Jesus’ public ministry proceeded and consummated on time. What about you in response when Jesus calls you? And, are you in the state of grace, and keeping it up through your penance through the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Now is the time to repent and convert so that you can be in the state of grace readily. Now is the time to respond with your “Teach me your ways, O Lord. Your ways, O lord “(Psalm 25:4) as Jesus is calling you, “Come after me”(Mark 1:17) .