The Call Of God

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, June 21st, 2021
Texts: Gen. 12: 1-9; Ps. 33:12-13.18-20.22; Mtt.  7: 1-5
Our call to be Christian is not to condemn others or label them. We should always remember that the way we judge others so also we will be judged. This calls us to be merciful in our dealings with others. This is not to condole evil, we have to rebuke evil sternly without fear or favour. We are to condemn wrong actions, not the person. We are to save the person from the action. Hence, we are to preach to them and also pray for them.
We are called to live the life we preach. Jesus says, _"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s   eye.”_ Our sense of judgement can be affected by our ways of life. When we indulge in a kind of sin, we tend to justify such sin. Though we may recognise it as a sin but we provide excuses for committing the sin. Jesus Christ asks us to live rightly that we may see rightly.
The call of Abram in today's first reading reminds us of our call to follow Jesus Christ. When we answer the call to follow Jesus Christ, God makes us blessings to others. We become blessings to others when we become the light they can follow to God. We become blessings to others when we preach the gospel of God's kingdom to them. We become blessings to others when they bless God through us. This is possible only  when we follow Jesus Christ intimately.
The call of Abram also reminds us that our call to follow Jesus Christ requires detachment. The call of God comes with a price, the need to separate ourselves from certain things. In today's first reading we read thus: _"The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you."_ Abram had to leave his father, mother, sisters, brothers, homeland to a new place. If we are not ready to detach and leave our ways of life, we are not ready to answer God's call. We do not answer God's call in words but by turning our whole life to Him. It is a call to new experience; when we answer God's call we move from old experience to new experience, old life to new life. To follow Jesus Christ we must be ready to let go anything that can be obstacles to us. Abram left his family and his homeland to separate himself from the gods of his forefathers. We have to separate ourselves from sin so as to follow Jesus Christ.
We are also reminded today that the call of God is with a promise. God said to Abram thus: _"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you will I curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.”_ When we follow Jesus Christ He turns us to blessings; he promises us resurrection, eternal life, protection against the evil ones. When we answer the call to follow Jesus Christ, we become coheirs with Him.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for inviting us into holy life by your teaching, help us to be faithful to Your teaching. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke