Today’s gospel is pretty straight forward, but I know that I have often overlooked its essence. It begins by telling us what the Gospel of God is. Jesus proclaimed, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” And there you have it. This is the time to fulfill or achieve or accomplish or realize or complete that the kingdom of God is readily available! This is the time. I’ll say it once more. THIS is the time. The kingdom of God is near and if we repent (turn around or change our mind about it) then we will believe it. When this belief invades our hearts, then it will be accomplished. Now. Near. Know. Believe.
The next scene is when Jesus watches the fishermen casting their nets into the sea. Have you ever observed an event that inspired deep thoughts? I feel like Jesus was in his early morning prayer time, walking along with the Father, and asking for guidance as to how to preach the gospel effectively to this generation. The vision of fishing souls came to him as he watched these men were doing their daily and ordinary thing. That’s it, I will teach them how to be fishers of souls. The nets will be the Word and the sea will be the people, and we will keep casting the Word over the people until all are caught. Those moments of inspiration or clarity or depth are the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. What a beautiful example of a Trinitarian encounter where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were acting in union to bring about heaven on earth. God comes to us in our ordinary to inspire us with the extraordinary. He meets us where we are and impresses our hearts and minds with where we are to go.
Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” I love the visual of coming after him because it means that he goes first. I remember hiking in Alabama in the summer along a river with a couple of friends. My friend was leading and I was right after her when I watched her literally step over a copperhead snake!! Because she went first, she got to walk over the deadly snake and I got to NOT walk over the deadly snake (we won’t talk about the amount and volume of screaming that took place in that moment, but you get my point). Jesus goes before us as a shield, as a guide, as a trailblazer, as the one who gets to step on the deadly snakes. When we get in line behind him, he will take us where we are to go, and where we are to go always involves casting the Word onto people. He is the Word and the Word is Love. So no matter what our “job” or are daily routine is, it always involves casting love onto everyone.
Where are you fishing today? What words of love will you cast? Let Jesus go first and remember that the Gospel of God means that the kingdom is near NOW if we start thinking it and believing it. It is well with my soul.
Reading 1 HEB 1:1-6
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
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 PS 97:1 AND 2B, 6 AND 7C, 9
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.
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 MK 1:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 1:14-20
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.
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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