YEAR C: 5TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
YEAR C: 5TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: WHOM SHALL I SEND?
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Isaiah 6:1-2,3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
The readings today focus on calling. We see the calling of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-2a.3-8) and the callings of Simon and his colleagues in the Gospel (Luke 5:1-11). In the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15: 1-11), St. Paul gives testimony to his own calling and affirms that he was called to be an Apostle. These callings follow the same pattern: first, there is a call. Second, there is fear. Third, there is reassurance. Fourth, there is a decision. Fifth, there is a changed life.
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Beyond what appears to be a call to specifically work as a prophet or a minister or even an Apostle, every human being created by God on earth is called to do something for Him. Unfortunately, while the human population exists in billions, God still searches for people who would be committed to Him. And the labourers are still few. In all ages and times, God is asking, ‘Whom shall I send?’ There is always something to do for the Lord. Our calling will always be connected to an unmet need or an opportunity to do good. It was in listening to the cries of an enslaved people that Moses discovered his calling.
Sometimes, we see the call of God on our lives through rose-coloured glasses. But hearing His call is not the same thing as falling into your dream job. Our first response when God calls us to do something is usually fear. Sometimes, God’s assignments for us are God-sized. They are beyond what people can do because He wants to demonstrate His nature, His strength, and His kindness to a watching world. Saying yes to God’s call often means putting in hours of effort when you would rather not. And it doesn’t always reward you with the kind of recognition you would have hoped for. People may disapprove of what you are doing and try to block you. You may even have a bad name as your greatest legacy. It depends on the portion God has for you. Yes, it will involve trial and error and some false starts. And natural talent alone is not enough to fulfil your calling; you will need ideas, strength, and creativity beyond your own resources to do what God requires of you. Paul says, ‘We are labourers together with God’ (1 Corinthians 3:9) because in order to succeed, it has to be God and you doing it together. He doesn’t just call you to work for Him; He calls you to work with Him.
Our calling is not the same thing as our career, yet we can find our calling in our career. A career is something you choose; a calling is something you are given. A career is something you do for yourself; a calling is something you do for God. A career promises status, money, and power; a calling generally includes difficulty, suffering, and the opportunity to be used by God. A career may end with retirement; a calling does not end until you die. A career can be disrupted by any number of events, but God makes sure you can fulfil your calling even in the most difficult circumstances. For some people in Scripture, obeying God’s call meant living in slavery, being captured and sent into exile, or being put to death. Their futures did not look promising, yet they fulfilled their calling in extraordinary ways. In God’s hands, the end of your career can be the beginning of your calling. So whatever God has called you to do, the Bible says, ‘Give yourselves fully to the work … because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain’ (1Cor. 15:58).
Whatever the Lord has called us to do, we must have confidence in Him and dispel our fears. We need to obey God even when we do not understand His plan. Peter, a seasoned fisherman, had to set aside his pride and say, ‘If you say so, I will…’ We need to understand the difference between what God is saying and what man is saying. The result, positive or negative, comes from who is giving the command. It is not about how we feel but what God is saying. This makes the difference. We should stop looking for man’s approval and focus on what God is saying about our life and situation.
We must allow God’s call to interrupt us. He called the disciples to something bigger than fishing; He called them to help in His mission to save people. And that was a pretty big call. When God tells us to do something that really stretches our faith to its limit, we have a choice. We can give in to doubt, or say, like Peter, ‘Because You say so, I will.’ Do not forget that God is still looking for whom to send. Are you ready to be more committed to Him?GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world, bless and protect us all through Christ our Lord Amen. Happy Sunday
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