Called to follow without conditions.
June 30 2019: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time- C
An Italian proverb says, “Every one to his own calling, and
the ox to the plough.”
The word call, in Latin is ‘Vocare’. From there, comes the
beautiful expression ‘Vocation’. Oftentimes, when people hear vocation, they
automatically associate it with priesthood or religious life. What we forget is
that, we all are called, each one for a specific purpose, for a special vocation:
some for family life as husbands and wives, others for religious and
consecrated life, some others for ministerial priesthood and others for
consecrated singleness.
The ordinary time is the ideal moment for each of us to feel
the call of God, to reflect on it and give an answer. For the past seven years
of my priesthood, I have been in the field of formation. I experienced
closeness with young people who felt the call of God and tried to give an
answer to it in a special way through the choice of religious life. I, however,
realized that the abundance of vocations or great number of people knocking the
doors of seminaries and convents are not necessary all sign of genuineness. The
experience teaches us that formation houses has meaning for many as stepping
stone. Many young people enter seminaries and convents, but actually not all
are called for priesthood or religious life. This fact calls for discernment
and a kind of suspicion when we see big numbers asking to join seminaries.
Today’s liturgy sets us at the summit of the reality of
vocation and on how people answer to those calls. In the first reading, we have
the case of Elisha called by Elijah to be prophet. The accent here is on the
promptness with which he answered and his disposition to leave everything he
had to follow. Promptitude could be seen as sign of genuine vocation and help
in the discernment. Elisha accepted to lose all that he has and follow the
prophet, knowing not what that could imply. It is nice to mention that God
calls not idle and workless or lazy people. Elisha was not called while seated
in the market place drinking or surfing idlily on internet. He was at work,
“plowing with twelve yokes of oxen; he was following the twelfth.” So, he was a
great farmer. And he earns his life through that work.
Many young people seek for priesthood and religious life
today because having nothing to do, jobless, moneyless and others say, because
life is hard outside. Thus, because unwilling to suffer, they chose to be
priests or nuns. Seminaries and consecrated life seem to become haven of lazy
people where there is free boarding and lodging. God, brethren, calls not the
lazy people. He neither calls to make lazy those he has called.
In the Gospel, we are presented with many other stories of vocation
and varieties of answers. Some are called by the Lord, while others will like
themselves to follow, and others also setting first their private agenda. That
is actually the paradigm of vocation. In the extract of Saint Luke, to the
first who proposed himself willingly to follow the Lord, Jesus answered, “Foxes
have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to
rest his head.” That is to say, we don’t follow the Lord seeking for
self-realization and personal interest. We enter not in convents and priesthood
for material securities. If the scoop in following the Lord is for possession,
we have mistaken our vocation. Jesus is not also seeking for number, but for
people who can accept the risk of having nothing in order to serve anywhere and
everyone.
To a second one, the Lord addresses the call, “Follow me.”
But that one has his private agenda. “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
We read here a deep contrast. While Jesus invites one to reflect on his will,
another is called but sets himself conditions. The following of the Lord must
be without conditions or hidden agenda. Promptitude and renunciation, as we
read in the call of Elisha in the first reading.
Then comes the third image of call and reluctant answer.
Here again the one who is called tries to set first his personal agenda and the
needs of his family. “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to
my family at home.” Hesitation or indecision is the first greatest hindrance to
vocation. My four years as formator in the Philippines taught me that, in many
cases of hesitation to answer the Lord’s call, there is the problem of the
family. I made the experience with young people who could be great and holy
priests. But their vocation journey was brought short because of the family
concerns. So much preoccupations for one’s family can be a big hindrance to
answering God’s call.
We talked all this long of vocations and specific call and
one could be tempted to say it is all about consecrated life and priesthood.
But actually, what is said of priesthood or religious life can also apply to
family life. How many couples are in hardships, indecisions and even conflicts
when one set first his secret agenda. Many couples are also facing problems
because of families and parents. We read from today’s liturgy that it is simply
enough for one to have the willing to follow the Lord. Most important is to
know and be ready for the consequences: Readiness to renounce, promptitude and
no secret agenda.
Christian life, we will never say it enough, is not a life
of security and comfort. Following the Lord is a choice for freedom. We set our
selves free from material, free from family, free from any calculation of
interest, such as, “Let me do so and so before…”; and we go to serve.
You are husbands or wives, you are seminarians, you are
religious, you are nuns, you are priest, are you free in your chosen vocation?
God’s call leads to freedom. If you feel any bound to anything or any person
pulling you backwards, you live in slavery. The words of Paul, “For freedom
Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of
slavery.”
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