Having concluded the Christmas Season last Sunday with the Baptism of the Lord, we now begin the Mass readings for Ordinary Time. The Sunday Mass readings are on a three-year cycle with Year A containing the Gospel of Matthew, Year B containing the Gospel of Mark, Year C containing the Gospel of Luke, and readings from the Gospel of John appearing in all three years. The Gospel readings for 2021 will come primarily from Year B – Mark, although the Gospel for today comes from John. The normal pattern for readings throughout Ordinary Time is to take a reading from the main Gospel of the liturgical year and combine it with a First Reading that relates to the theme of the Gospel passage. The Responsorial Psalm typically will also reflect the theme of the Gospel. The Second Reading, on the other hand, is a passage taken from one of the New Testament Epistles and is not necessarily related to the other readings of the day.
The theme developed in today’s Gospel and First Reading is God’s call to vocation, and our response. We have all received a vocation – a call from God. At its most basic level, we have all received a call to salvation. Several times in the New Testament we hear that our names have been written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world. We have also received a more specific call on how we are to live out this more general call. Some of us are called to be married, others single, still others to religious life. This is not a matter of personal preference – it is a response to God’s call. Finally, our work is also part of our response to our vocation. We are not simply earning a living; we are also responding to God’s call in whatever work we do. If we keep this fact in mind, then we can see how whatever work we might do, even forms of work that might seem quite humble, can be for us an expression of our dedication to spreading the Kingdom of God. It all begins with a positive response to the invitation of Jesus, “Come, follow me.” Are we prepared to follow Jesus, or will we offer excuses?
Having a variety of excuses tucked away in our consciences seems to be a part of our lives. Parents have them; children have them; employees have them; bosses have them; the government has them – and yes, even priests have them! When we do not live up to someone’s expectations, we do not want to be caught unprepared, so we often rehearse what our excuse will be, how we will say it, and what reaction we are likely to get in response. Excuses may have a place within our human relationships, but they have no place in our relationship with God. Indeed, excuses are usually our justification for thoughts or behavior that is contrary to God’s will. We have to face that fact that, sooner or later, there is not one single excuse that will work when we stand before God and give an account of our lives. What excuse would be good enough to explain why we did not heed God’s voice stirring in our hearts, but chose, instead, to follow some other path? Let there be no excuses today. Let God do the talking, and let us respond in faith.