All six young men led motionless, face down on the stone chapel floor. The
Litany of the saints sang out over them as the rest of us, deeply moved, watched on, entranced mostly by all that was unseen.
No doubt the same call from Jesus in today’s Gospel had been heard and acknowledged in the hearts of these young men ordained as deacons a few weeks ago.
Have you heard that call ? Maybe to a different path, but always a call that challenges by asking What are you seeking ? and deep down, somewhere in you, you knew it was Him, but it’s taken a journey to be able to articulate it.
When we set out on a journey of faith we really can’t know where we are going. We only know that every cell in our body desires it. Thirsts for it to the point of pain whatever “it” is. We name it as Jesus, or God or encounter, Church or community. we have a name for what we leave comfort and worldly rationality behind for, but the utter vastness of what we discover leaves explanation and descriptions bland and wanting.
It seems we cut our way through wild untamed unconquered territory of our souls cutting a path to a gate we have never seen but trust we will reach. If I had seen before hand the hardest parts of that path cutting, I would have run in the other direction but each swathe of the scythe makes the next step infinitely possible because of those ones before. The strength that increases by each stroke, the trust that it is possible, the glimpses of Him who is at the same time at the gate as in the wildness with you, who’s very hand lifts the scythe with you and makes you rejoice just to be called to the journey at all.
Did James and John know that morning that something life changing was going to happen that day? That nothing would ever be the same…..if they just said yes.
Did Andrew rise each morning thinking “Is this all there is?”
Did Peter cast those nets out once again thinking “maybe this is all I’m made for, but I want to believe there’s more”
And you, what thought keeps invading your unguarded moments? If you’re ready with your yes, Maybe this is the time to pray He calls you to fulfil it.
