“Oh Lord, I am not worthy!”
At every mass, before we receive Communion, we recognize our unworthiness. This is a common theme throughout scripture. In the first reading, Isaiah says, “Woe is me; I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips…” In the second reading, Paul refers to himself as “one born abnormally.” He believed that he was unworthy for Christ to appear to him and to call him to represent Him. Finally, in the Gospel, Simon tells Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
Certainly, on our own, we could never be worthy to encounter God, to be loved by God, or even to serve God. Yet, we are all called to do just that. The Lord cleanses the lips of Isaiah so that he is able to say, “Here I am…send me!” Jesus accepts and strengthens Simon saying, “Do not be afraid…from now on you will be catching men.”
In each case, the proper starting position is one of humility. A position that acknowledges that we are unworthy and that no amount of earthly success can change our human condition. The answer is not found in ourselves, but, rather, in the Lord. In our humility, we call upon the Lord and He answers our call, but we do not dictate the terms or the conditions of how or when He answers us. Yet, he gives us the strength to say, “Here I am…send me” and the courage to surrender like Simon, James and John, leaving our version of our lives behind and following the life that Jesus gives to us. Jesus promises to make the first disciples, “fishers of men.” They likely had no idea what that meant, yet, in their humility, they were drawn to Jesus and were open to the idea of following Him. They recognized something special about Jesus and were willing to give up EVERYTHING to follow Him.
We also must respond willingly to God’s call and do His bidding whenever and wherever it leads us. Often, this can be inconvenient or difficult or downright contrary to our own plans, expectations, desires and goals. On the other hand, if we “drop our nets,” follow Jesus enthusiastically, and allow Him to teach us His ways, we will be worthy to be on His path toward a goal that is eternal.
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