The Journey: begins with the Lord

WORD 2day: Monday, 1st week in Ordinary time

January 13, 2025 - Hebrew 1: 1-6; Mark 1: 14-20

In many ways today's liturgy of the Word signals a beginning - after long weeks of specific events and feasts, we enter the Ordinary season, the precious gift of the ordinary time; we have begun the jubilee year recently and with the end of the Christmas season, beginning today we could amply turn our atttention to this pilgrimage of the jubilee; and we begin to listen to the readings proper to the liturgical cycle C from this week, and of course the odd-year alternative during the weekdays! In short, we are beginning a journey anew, the journey of faith, with the Lord, with the hope that the Lord grants.

We shall be reflecting on the letter written to the Hebrews this whole week, taking us on an exploratory retreat on the journey we are called resume once again, the ordinary journey of our faith. The first message given us is this: that journey begins witih the Lord. It is the Lord who has initiated this journey speaking to us in varied ways in the past, during the stronger liturgical seasons, who shall continue to speak now, in a more ordinary and a daily manner. The call for us is not to miss the "ordinariness" of God's call. 

And the Gospel reiterates that, now it is Jesus himself who speaks to us, and calls us every day - to follow him, that he can make us fishers of persons. There is a Christian television series that has become very famous over the past couple of years, an interdenominational initiative from the United States - The Chosen, which has reached already 4 seasons and is promising more. The picture that accompanies this reflection is the logo of that series! Interestingly the very first season, right away began with Jesus choosing his followers! That is how Mark begins his Gospel too: not with the nativity narrative but the call of the apostles. 

The message is loud and clear: we are chosen for this journey, and this journey begins with the Lord, are we ready to respond and follow?