Two-Minute Homily by Fr Joseph Vu SVD for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024.
“The theme of this Sunday’s Gospel is the nature of a calling or vocation. How are we called to follow Christ?”
- Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane
The theme of this Sunday’s Gospel is the nature of a calling or vocation how are we called to follow Christ? Christ calls his first disciples Simon, Andrew, John and James to follow him. Simon and Andrew left their nets, boats, jobs, everything! To follow Christ. The two brothers, John and James, also left their father in the boat with their fellow workers and followed Christ. What call is so strong, that all of them gave up everything, including their lives with loved ones, to follow the Lord? Is it because this call had the promise, “I will make you fishers of men” that made them abandon everything? Not really. But the call of Christ that day did involve the calling of the apostles to a new mission in life.We too are called to serve the Lord and our invitation is also of great significance and importance. Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans, described his calling. He wrote, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” Romans 1:1-7. That is the meaning of the call to be a disciple, to be an apostle of the Lord. This is why Simon, Andrew, John and James left everything to follow the Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters, from the day of our baptism, each of was anointed to be a disciple, a servant of the Lord. So, how have we lived our discipleship calling? Has it meant the abandonment of daily temptations, especially those that arise from the material world? These sacrifices in renunciation of temptations are very pleasing to the Lord and are in accord with the will of God. This is also a way to show that we too are giving up everything to follow God in today’s world.
Brothers and sisters, each of us should always reflect upon and appreciate our own vocation or calling whether it be to the priesthood, religious, single or married life. All callings have a great mission and give meaning to our daily life and faith life. It is all the different vocations and values that gives the Church its richness and illuminates the face of Christ in today’s world.
May God bless you, give you strength to always be faithful to God and to be ready to fulfil your vocation and mission in today’s life. And may we always remember that we all have a calling to be a fisher of men to spread the Gospel wherever we are. Amen.