Answer the call 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42 Charisma is that indefinable quality that all successful leaders have in abundance. It is an essential characteristic of any politician, military officer, dean, athletic coach, pastor, project director, sales manager, union leader, police chief — anyone who holds a position of leadership. By dint of their personality and talent, such people are able to attract people who have confidence in their leadership and who commit themselves to the vision and goals of those who lead. Jesus was such a person. The Gospel of John locates the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry with John the Baptist, who recognized that extraordinary qualities possessed by Jesus and so he directed the attention of two of his own disciples to Jesus: “Behold the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29). One of the two was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. In the Byzantine tradition, Andrew bears the title “Prōtoklētos” (“First Called”). Andrew could barely control his enthusiasm as he informed his brother: “We have found the messiah” (Jn 1:41). Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name: Cephas (Peter). This was a harbinger of the changes that Simon will begin to experience in his life because of his encounter with Jesus. The disciples were not disappointed, for Jesus showed himself to be mighty in word and deed. As Jesus’ fame spread, the disciples’ attention turned to their status in the messianic kingdom, which they believed that Jesus was about to establish. Unfortunately, such concern shows their lack of understanding of Jesus’ identity and mission. The emotional reaction to the disciple’s initial encounter with Jesus was not enough to carry them through the tragic events of Jesus’ final days. After Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane, the disciples abandoned Jesus to his fate. Peter even denied knowing Jesus. Only the unnamed disciple whom Jesus loved stood with Mary and the female disciples at the foot of the cross. It was not until the disciples’ experience of the risen Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit that they fully embraced their call to carry on Jesus’ mission. The hard work of discipleship begins after our initial encounter with the risen Christ no matter how overwhelming that encounter may be. The call to discipleship is just the beginning of our Christian vocation. The authentic disciple responds to that call every day. The monks of the Syrian Orthodox Church do not take vows as do Roman Catholic religious brothers, sisters and priests, yet they live in chastity, without anything of their own, and in obedience. They are free to leave their monastery at any time without any recriminations. To remain faithful to their monastic vocation, they recommit themselves to that vocation every day. They must attend to their monastic life every day; they do not have the support of juridical or canonical safety nets. Discipleship too requires daily attention. Christians have developed a variety of ways to pattern their lives of discipleship. Some of these patterns reflect the ethos of the great religious orders. These include Benedictine, Carmelite, Franciscan, Dominican and Jesuit spiritualities. These provide adherents with time-tested spiritual disciplines along with experienced guides to accompany them as they grow into Christian maturity. The approach they take to growing in our Christian life is not as important as their determination that the Gospel is the force that drives the entirety of their lives. The individuals whom Jesus called to follow him began well enough. They left their homes and accompanied Jesus as he took his message to the villages of Galilee. They were enthralled by his words, they believed his promises of eternal life, they witnessed how his compassionate love affected the poor, sinners, the sick. Still, this did not keep them from abandoning Jesus in the hour of his greatest need. Our commitment to Jesus and the Gospel is as fragile at that of Jesus’ first disciples. To keep this commitment as the central mode of our existence we need to reaffirm it each day. We cannot allow our Christian life to become a matter of routine. Authentic Christians answer the call to follow Jesus each day of their lives.
About the Author Father Leslie Hoppe, OFM, is professor emeritus of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S. Cornell Ave., Chicago.