Answer the call

Prayer for the Day

“Lord, I trust that you hear my prayers for the lost and that you are working to bring them into your kingdom. Come quickly into the lives of those I pray for!”

Reflection

We call ourselves Christian.  Do we think of our lives as Christians a calling from Christ, or merely a statement on our part, like signing up for an organization?

Some people say that the day of our baptism is really our "birthday." We are marked for all eternity as followers of Christ. Being a Christian is a lifetime, life-changing choice. We see a striking example of this in the gospel where Matthew, the tax collector, responds instantly to the call of Christ - and we know from the gospel that his life would never again be the same. (Matthew 9:9-13)

I am somewhat amazed when I recall the "strange" people Jesus publicly invited into His company and service. They were not the smartest, the wealthiest, or even the most physically appealing; but nevertheless, they were seen as pivotal characters in salvation history.

Did they know or sense the importance of their role? We might guess that some might have had an inkling, but not full knowledge of the impact their witness to Jesus was to have.

Perhaps it is so for us. Like the apostles, we too have been singled out to have a role in furthering the Kingdom of God. What part we are intended to play may be hidden not only from us, but also from others. It is with certainty, a role that God has well-equipped us to play.

St. Paul urges the Ephesians to "live in a manner worthy of the call." (Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13)

There are many choices we are free to make in a day. For example, we can choose whether to speak to a store clerk or just ignore them. We can choose to donate some funds or buy something for ourselves that we can do without. The choices go on all day. These are small choices, but they are exactly what mark our life on this earth.

Why not use today to review the many choices we make in a day? Can others identify us as a Christian by the choices we make on a day-to-day basis?  Hopefully, we will—like Matthew—accept the invitation of Christ who calls us to be His friend, His evangelist, to spread the Good News.