God's Summons
Confronted with God’s power and
majesty, the first response of the
prophet Isaiah was to acknowledge his
sinfulness. “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,” he
said aloud. Likewise, with his empty
fishing nets dramatically filled at
Jesus’ instruction, Peter fell to his
knees and cried out, “Depart from me,
Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
Next, Peter got up. He docked his
boats then left to follow Jesus. Isaiah
also had a dramatic change of heart.
When he heard the Lord say, “Whom
shall I send? Who will go for us?”
Isaiah answered, “Here I am, send me.”
We are summoned daily by the
Risen Lord. We are reminded of the
saving power of the gospel and know
in our heart of hearts that, as St. Paul
wrote, believing in anything else won’t
lead to anything.
What will it take for you to move
past your sinfulness? What will it take
for you to get off your knees? What will
it take for you to bring to dock what is
unimportant and to accept your call to
be God’s messenger?