Answering God's Call

God speaks to everyone.  Everyone.  God waits for our response.  It is anticipated, unique, and given (or not) through the grace of free will.  As Getty Lee from Rush sings in Freewill, "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

God knows that answering His call is not always the easy path, but He does not wish hardship on any of us, though that is almost certainly guaranteed.  The reason is simple.  God calls everyone.  Everyone.  Some ignore, pretend not to hear, or reject the call.  Some give a lukewarm and half-hearted response.  Few give fully of themselves, even to the point of death.  Those who do find themselves on the outside of society.

The 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, just passed, presented two readings, a psalm and the Gospel all addressing how differently we respond to God's call.  In the first reading Jeremiah complains of being mocked, and yet he presses on; he can't help himself.  I suspect most of us can be silenced on the mere threat of being laughed at.  The Psalmist longs, on the other hand, to see and be with God.  St. Paul, in the epistle, reminds us to be a holy and living sacrifice, yes a living sacrifice to God.  The word is not chosen lightly.

And finally, in the Gospel, Jesus tells of the persecution and death that awaits him.  Peter tries to talk him out of his journey to Jerusalem, and is harshly reminded that he is thinking only of human things, and not with God at heart.  "Get behind me Satan!" says Jesus to his right hand man.  Ouch.

The readings run the gamut of response we can expect from others when we do God's will - from laughter, to longing, maybe even death.  It takes humility and courage to submit.

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Psalm 63
Romans 12:1-2 (pithy and poignant)
Matthew 16:21-27