Scriptures: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20
Can God Change his Mind?
Well we hear that God can change his mind, if he wants: “As long as God is faithful to God’s people.”
As we heard in the First Reading from Jonah: “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil ways, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.”
Of course there are many levels to the Book of Jonah and the reading that we heard today.
For example, the author of the Book of Jonah has a few points to make to the readers, among them that “God cannot be squeezed into the box of our making.”
Like people of the past, we the people of today ask, as we prayed and sang in the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9): “Teach me your ways, O Lord.”
This is the call of each of us, the disciples of Jesus – “Teach me your ways, O Lord.”
Take the disciples who we hear of today in the Gospel, they left what they were doing to follow the Lord, to learn more about Jesus and “the way” of this Preacher, Jesus.”
Just think of how difficult it was for these first disciples to leave their comfort zones and follow Jesus. They left what they knew and went into what they did not know. But in time, it would begin to be revealed to them.
In our journey of life and faith, to take the next step, to knowing someone, or knowing something, or just changing or improving some part of our life, our selves… We have to leave something behind.
What is it in our lives that God is asking us as person, family and Parish to “leave behind” to change in our lives?
Maybe the nets of self-interest, greed, anger, indifference or deception…
Just getting by… Settling in… Preconceived ideas or beliefs… Attitudes or judgments about people or groups or even God.
Part of our journey of life and faith includes coming to know God more and more. Something that takes a lifetime, and who knows, probably an eternity. But something that is very necessary for us today, as person, family and Parish.
For in the long run, discipleship is about our love of God, our love of others, our faithful discipleship that is centered in Jesus, our Brother and God. A discipleship that continues to hear Jesus say to us, “Come and See; Come Follow Me.” May it come to past that we faithfully: “Followed Him” – (Jesus).