Look for Calls: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Look for calls within our daily lives. That stuck out as I read the reflection of the Gospel from ePriest. We aren't all called to do great things, but, as Saint Mother Teresa said, "...we can do small things with great love." We have to look for the call as we go about our daily life to be more charitable, patient, and generous. The apostles heard Jesus say "follow me", and they dropped everything to do that. Not all of us are called to do that, at least material-wise. I have to say I'm a bit relieved that I haven't been called to do that; I'm a bit selfish that way. 

Let me back up a bit. After reading today's Gospel, my thought was that when Jesus heard of John's imprisonment, He knew it was time to step it up. He knew that was His signal to start gathering apostles, who dropped everything to follow Him. Jesus calls us to do the same thing. Every. Day. The reflection from Catholic Mom posed the question: Why does He seem to call me at the most inconvenient, inopportune time? He's constantly reminding us to put Him first; that all things are done through HIM, not me. It's up to us to listen to Him calling as we go about our day. He's calling us to charity, generosity, and patience. We have to stop & listen.

As the priest said today in his Homily: God calls us where and as we are. We all have a purpose. In order to realize that purpose, we have to have a deep personal relationship with God. We can achieve this through prayer and worship. (Then he started talking about ministries to the parish and touched on the Bishop's Appeal, so I have to admit I got a little distracted at that point!)

 Every one of us sees some darkness in our lives; regardless of how perfect our lives are or how perfect someone else's life seems to be. There's sickness, death, hard times. That relationship is vital in seeing the big picture: Salvation. Life isn't perfect. Families aren't perfect. I know in my own life, there have been things that have happened that have made my stomach knot up and have made me physically ill. Turning to God in those moments and remembering that He has this definitely helps. If I didn't have a relationship with Him, I don't know how I would have gotten through those events. Daily prayers & reflecting on the Daily Readings have helped me achieve that deep personal relationship with God. Online communities such as Blessed is She and Heart of Mary Women's Fellowship keep me focused, as does SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel (especially Jennifer Fulwiler, Hallie Lord, Lino Rulli, and The Busted Halo---who all make being Catholic "cool"!). 

This week, I challenge you to "hear the call" throughout the day.

How do you stay focused so you can hear the call during your day?