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“The Calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew”
by Jacob Willemsz De Wet, the Elder, c. 1660 |
Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD'S bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.
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Commentary on Jon 3:1-5, 10
Following his miraculous rescue from the belly of the great fish, the prophet Jonah is sent to Nineveh, a traditional enemy of his people, the Jews. He is sent to spread the news that the city would be destroyed unless all of the residents of the city repented of their ways. It is not mentioned in this reading, but Jonah was sure he would fail, and the city would be destroyed. This reading describes his unexpected success and God’s subsequent redemption.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (4a) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Psalm 25 is an individual lament. The sinful psalmist prays that “your ways” be made known. This request directs us to repentance and ultimately guides us to justice. In the first strophe of this hymn, we hear support for our belief that God answered the prayers of our ancient ancestors. Their trust was justified. The song continues as an individual prayer asking for guidance and salvation.
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 7:29-31
St. Paul is answering questions put to him by the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7:1-11:1). In this short passage we see the apostle's vision that the Eschaton is coming soon, that Christ’s second coming is imminent, to take place before their deaths (“For the world in its present form is passing away.”). His advice here has two levels of meaning. Understood from the perspective of the imminent return of Christ, the members of the community are to rejoice in the coming salvation. “The world . . . is passing away: Paul advises Christians to go about the ordinary activities of life in a manner different from those who are totally immersed in them and unaware of their transitoriness.” [5] Understood in a later period, he is echoing Christ’s urgency to reform, not to delay for “you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13).
CCC: 1 Cor 7:31 1619
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Gospel: Mark 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 abandoned 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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Commentary on Mk 1:14-20
It is noteworthy to observe that all of the Gospel accounts show Jesus beginning his public ministry after the active ministry of St. John the Baptist has ended. The “Voice” decreases while the “Word” increases (see John 3:30). We see the charismatic power of the Lord in the call of the first disciples from St. Mark’s Gospel. They follow him without inducement beyond his simple invitation to follow him. It is also notable that three of these first four, Simon, James, and John, develop the closest relationships with the Lord of all the disciples. From other Gospel sources (John 1:35-42), we know that Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist and would have shared Jesus' status with his brother, Simon (Peter).
CCC: Mk 1:15 541, 1423, 1427; Mk 1:16-20 787
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Reflection:
Sacred Scripture places before us the stories of how God calls individuals to his service. In the first reading from Jonah, the prophet has gone through a conversion experience. He has been rescued by God from certain death and sent on a specific mission – to call the people of Nineveh to repentance. Earlier in the story, when Jonah heard the call to go to Nineveh, we are told that Jonah is skeptical of his success. The people of Nineveh are traditional enemies of the Hebrews, and we can almost hear Jonah’s thoughts: they will reject the demand of the Lord and God’s justice will wipe them from the earth. However, when they hear the word of God, the call is answered. The people are saved.
The Gospel tells us about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry from St. Mark’s account. We hear the Lord’s mission unfold in what sounds very similar to the call of John the Baptist, at least at first. “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
However, we immediately see something amazing. As Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee he calls to Simon and Andrew who are fishing. Mark does not give us the relationship between St. Andrew and St. John the Baptist that we hear in St. Luke’s Gospel. In Mark we are just told that he calls to them: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They “left their nets”; they dropped their means of livelihood, essentially the most important things they owned, and followed him. Walking further Jesus encounters James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Again, he calls to them. There is no explanation, just “he called them,” and they left their father, their family and followed him.
We begin to see the cost of discipleship in this short story. In no uncertain terms we are shown that the Lord’s most favored disciples did not need to be convinced by rhetoric or won over by long friendship. They heard the voice of Jesus and left all that was important in their lives, their professions. and their families, to follow him.
The lessons we hear today take the spiritual growth we have built during the previous seasons (Advent and Christmas) of this year and push it to the next level. We have heard the Lord’s call. Now what shall we do? Our prayer today is that, like those first disciples, we can hear the Lord’s voice and place his mission first, before work and even before family, in our hearts.
Pax
In other years on January 21st: Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used is “The Calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew” by Jacob Willemsz De Wet, the Elder, c. 1660.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on 1 Cor 7:29-31.
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