From the Deacon’s Desk 01/17/2021

Dear Friends:

Today we return to Ordinary Time and will be there for five weeks. Then, believe it or not, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday. Seems like yesterday we were celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Our readings today from Samuel and the Gospel of John are about being called to ministry. Samuel is a special person because he was born to a woman who was barren. She was much too old to conceive a child and yet God chooses her to give birth to Samuel. Samuel struggles with his call to ministry but eventually understands what God wants from him and becomes the last judge for Israel.

John’s Gospel today 1:35-42 is also about being called to ministry. Two of John’s disciples see Jesus walk by and ask him “where are you staying?” Jesus says to them “come and you will see.” As the story goes, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman, was one of the two. He immediately found his brother Peter and says to him “we have found the Messiah.” Andrew brings Peter to Jesus and Jesus says to him “you will be called Cephas” – which means Peter.

It is very interesting that God chooses all kinds of people to do his work. Samuel is called to be the last of Israel’s judges. Peter is called to be the first leader of Jesus’ church!

We know that God calls us to many different roles. Sometimes we are surprised to end up where we are and what we are doing in the church aren’t we? It seems the most unlikely person is called to do the job God has set before them. The key here, I think, is to listen to what God is trying to say to us and pray for guidance to do the best we can with whatever God gives us to do. There’s an old joke that sums this up pretty well. “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!”

Peace and All Good!

Deacon Jim

The Corona Virus seems to be winning the daily battle of our quest to return to god health. This is really discouraging. Perhaps we could work a little harder in our prayers asking God to relieve us of this burden. Maybe a simple sacrifice of being kind to someone we don’t particularly care for, in addition to our prayers, would help. I’ll leave that up to you.