I think it was 2008. I was teaching a Catholic Marriage Education Program I had developed at a Smart Marriages Conference. One afternoon two men who had not been in the training came into my presentation room as I was packing up for the day. They asked if they could speak with me. I said yes.
They introduced themselves as being presenters of another marriage enrichment program, Marriage Encounter. After a few pleasantries, they skillfully, gently, but FIRMLY, told me that there was much that was good in my program, but it failed a Catholic test. That was concerning to them (and, once I heard that, to me).
The test it failed was that it began with “as a couple, choose to deliberately put Christ at the center of your marriage.” It was clearly true that the program did that. But how could that not be Catholic? How could that not be good?
It was true because Catholic teaching is that GOD ALWAYS MAKES THE FIRST MOVE. GOD SEEKS. He piques interest in us that pulls us toward him. If we are not already close to God, we may not realize that it is God calling, God seeking. We think we have a great idea: “Let’s start attending a Bible study.” “I think this Lent I will go to daily mass a couple of times a week.” “Maybe we should talk about the Sunday homily with our children at Sunday dinner.” Or even: “I will adapt a well-researched marriage education program to use in Catholic marriage enrichment.” Or “let’s put Christ at the center of our marriage.”
We start seeking God because we respond to God seeking us.
But it is a two-step process. In Step One God seeks us and begins to give us of Himself. That gifting gives us more of God’s life–more love and compassion, more seeking of truth, more sense of responsibility, more desire for loving relationships. It is whatever God’s judgement is that we might need for us to come closer to God.
We have two stories and a commentary of that process in our readings this week.
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
God called Jonah to be a prophet and preach repentance to Ninevah—a great city. Chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Jonah describe how when God first sought Jonah to prophesy to Ninevah he went the other way—and ended up in the belly of a great fish. By Chapter 3 today, Jonah has said yes to God seeking him, starts preaching in Ninevah, and sees people repent. (There’s more to the story. See Jonah 4.)
Mark 1:14-20
Last week in our Gospel from John we had the “God seeking” Step 1 of the God calling process. Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptist were standing with him when Jesus passed by. It is the day after Jesus’ baptism. They are at the Jordan. John acts as God’s courier and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” God had already called Andrew and the other disciple (and Jesus) to the Jordan. They responded by coming and seeking. Andrew responded to Jesus invitation to him, “Come and see.” Jesus made enough of an impression on Andrew the seeker that he told his brother Simon, “we have found the Messiah.”
Nonetheless, Andrew and Simon, Jesus, and probably James and John all went back to Galilee. The fishing brothers went back to fishing. God had sought them out through John the Baptist. God made that first move. Then Jesus responded with conversation to them as seekers. God sought them some more.
But now, John the Baptist has been arrested. His work is done. Jesus has returned to Galilee and has begun his active work. So, today, God clinches the deal. “Follow me,” Jesus says.
And the four brothers leave all to follow. They say yes. Conversion doesn’t start with our “yes,” but it requires it. God seeks, but God requires that we find–and choose. We are always free, for Love is only love when it is freely given.
I Corinthians 7:29-31
The selection from I Corinthians was written to a new church in Corinth that was a mix of Jews and Gentiles, people who had always lived by the Law and people who had always lived by Greek culture. These were all NEW Christians. New Christians take awhile to match their lives to the Gospel. Yet, in my experience, they have an advantage over many “cradle Catholics” or long ago converted Catholics who have been “sacramentalized but not evangelized.”
The advantage of the NEW folks is that they KNOW they don’t know and are curious. We long-time Christians often don’t know what we don’t know. We are not curious. God seeks, but we don’t let ourselves be found as seekers.
We can be “cafeteria Catholics” who pick and choose what we believe and how we live our beliefs. True, there are many aspects of Catholic spirituality which are open for finding a good match for ourselves. We can lean toward Benedictine or Franciscan or Dominican spirituality. We can make the rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours our daily prayer. We can focus on social justice or offering up our suffering.
Those are ways to practice our faith. That, still, is a matter of God calling and us saying “yes,” but in those areas God is matching the work he gives us to do with the talents, gifts, circumstances, and interests he has placed in our personalities and hearts.
But there still must come a time when Jesus stands on the shore of our lives and says, “Follow me more deeply. Learn of me. Change your life to more closely match mine.”
If you read all of I Corinthians, you will see Paul calling the new Christians at Corinth to more fully match their lives to the Gospel. There is an urgency in Paul’s voice: “Time is running out.” In effect, he is saying, “Whatever you are doing in your ordinary life, stop! God-is-seeking-you-and-has-found-you, “repent and believe in the Gospel.” Change your life to match the ways of God. Let the Holy Spirit permeate and fill you.
Following Jesus
Back at that marriage conference, I took the “call” of the people who came to talk to me seriously. It took some time for me to know for sure what the Marriage Encounter folks told me was true. In retrospect, it was a step on a metanoia road that led me two years later to a general confession, frequent daily mass, a theology degree to be able to evaluate what was of God or not, and deliberate answering a call to follow Jesus.
God initiates the call. We answer—with words and our lives.
When you read “Follow me” in today’s Gospel, what thought comes to mind? Pay attention to that thought. It might be related to how God is seeking you today. Let yourself be found. Then choose and follow.
Prayer to Let Yourself Be Found & Follow
Lead me, guide me, Lord. Give me wisdom to see as you see. Give me understanding, that I may grasp the deeper meanings in myself and others. Give me the knowledge I need to judge rightly. Give me counsel, that I may choose the best path when I problem solve. Give me humility and honesty that I may not fool myself, but face what is real. Give me courage, that I may give what needs to be given, accept what needs to be accepted, hold what needs to be held, speak what needs to be spoken, and let go of what is not of you. Give me piety and holy fear, that I may rest in your love. Amen.
