16 January, Saturday — Step by Step

Jan 16 — Saturday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time

Heb 4:12-16
Mk 2:13-17

“Follow me.”

The first week of ordinary time reminds us at every turn to have faith, trust God and act immediately at His voice. When we hesitate to act, we are easily confused at what we hear and what it ‘may have actually’ meant. To follow Christ is simple, yet in this world we live in covered in flesh, it is difficult. If we don’t have God as our priority morning, noon and night, it is impossible because this world is so loud, so bright (dark is often disguised with lights) that we won’t see or hear His voice. It is a human decision to follow Christ –- we choose our will, or His will.

Follow me. These words of Christ can be found in scripture over 100 times. Two little words that mean something different for every person who ever has, is or ever will, live. Millions and millions and millions have heard the call, and we each walk this out differently.

John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote this mission statement for His life after he heard God call to him, “follow me”.

God knows me and calls me by my name.…
God has created me to do Him some definite service;
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.

I have my mission—I never may know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes…
I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection
between persons.

He has not created me for naught. I shall do good,
I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth
in my own place, while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments
and serve Him in my calling.
Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.

If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him;
In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him;
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be
necessary causes of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.

He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life,
He may shorten it;
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends,
He may throw me among strangers,
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide the future from me—
still He knows what He is about.…
Let me be Thy blind instrument. I ask not to see—
I ask not to know—I ask simply to be used.

Individually, we can embrace this mission statement as our own, we can pray it every morning and evening.  Step by step following Him will look different on each of us, and yet we will all be following the same Christ.  The Lord and Saviour. 

(Today’s Oxygen by Gina Ulicny)

Prayer: Father God, we need you desperately to make it through each and every day. You are the only light that has no darkness, the only voice that is life-giving.  

Thanksgiving: Lord God, thank you for calling us to follow You.