With these words - “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” - our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to conversion, to turn away from sin, and gain the “Kingdom of heaven” or “the eternal happiness to which God calls his people” (Didache, p. 1264). As I mentioned in my homily last Monday, the Greek word for “repent” is “metanoia”, which is a “profound change of heart accompanied by a turning away from sin.” Moreover, repentance is not “reserved for only the beginning of the Christian life [which started with our Baptism] but must be a constant disposition throughout each day of our lives” (Didache, p. 1316).
This “profound change of heart” is essential for us to answer Jesus’ call to discipleship, to come after him. We see this in the conversions of Simon and his brother, Andrew, and John and his brother, James, who left their nets, their father, their boats, and their hired men to come and follow Jesus. Saint Basil wrote this about becoming a Christian: “A disciple is, as the Lord himself taught us, whoever draws near to the Lord to follow him - to hear his words, to believe and obey him as Lord and king and doctor and teacher of truth. . . So, whoever believes in the Lord and presents himself ready for discipleship must first learn to set aside every sin and everything that distracts from the obedience owed to the Lord.” (Healy, p. 43).
My sisters and brothers in Christ, to follow Jesus is to answer the question that Hannah’s husband asked her, in today’s first reading: “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” For us, this is the question that we must ask ourselves: “Is Jesus not more to me than everyone and everything else in my life? Is he the Lord of my life? What in my life must I leave behind to come and follow Jesus?” One of the ways that we can discern these questions is through prayer, especially the prayer that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Mass is where we come together not only to hear God speak to our hearts in the inspired words of Scripture but also in the Eucharist in which Jesus Christ gives of himself to us - Body and Blood. And, for our part, we respond wholeheartedly, saying: “My Lord and my God,” acknowledging that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. When we acknowledge that Jesus is the King that reigns in our hearts, we find the courage to repent and come and follow Jesus as Simon (Peter), Andrew, John, and James did in today’s Gospel.
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