5th Sunday Ordinary Time - Year C

Call To Service

God’s call comes to us in different ways.  Few among us have probably experienced a summons to ministry as dramatic as that of Isaiah (1st Reading Is 6:1-2,3-8), or as decisive as that of Peter, James and John (Lk 5:1-11).  Few of us can boast of seeing seraphim or hearing distinctive voices.  Few of us were offered the sign of a great catch of fish as a portent of our future success.  Recall Paul’s encounter on the road to Damascus.  The flash of light, the commanding voice, his ensuing blindness and cure mark Paul’s call as extraordinary.  Also extraordinary was the call of Augustine (354-430), Francis of Assisi (1182-1266), Joan of Arc (1412-1431) and the like.

Although the voices and visions that moved these remarkable men and women to do remarkable things for Christ and the church are indeed inspiring, most of us cannot claim a similar experience.  Nevertheless and despite the lack of drama, our calls to service are nonetheless real and compelling.  For many of us, the call to ministry comes in a rather conventional manner, as through the voice and direction of a pastor, spiritual guide or friend.  Some among us are moved to service through the example of others.

Today’s liturgy places before us a challenge.  Whether the call is conventional or unconventional, can we see it as a call from God?  For example, take the pathetic situation of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  Can we take the inner urge to reach out to them as a call from God?  Can we recognize the face of hunger and offer bread?  Can we relieve the thirsty with water, the needy with a share of our substance, the lonely with a few hours of our time and attention, the sorrowful with an offer of our sympathy and a sharing in our joy, the sick with the support of our care, and the dying with the comfort of our presence and caring?