23 January, Friday — He’s calling us by our names

Friday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time

1 Sam 24:3-21
Mk 3:13-19

Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted.

While I was reading today’s Gospel, I imagined how Jesus would call me by name. It’s not that I dared imagine him calling me as one of the Apostles. It’s just that I know Jesus is calling me as well.

I wonder how Jesus would pronounce my name. I’m sure Jesus was not a native English speaker, so would he pronounce my name with an accent? How deep would his voice be? How would his face look like? Would he be smiling? Would he have said it loudly, or would he have whispered softly? I don’t really know.

But I do know that he would call out my name with love. I know I would be able to feel his gentleness, no matter how his voice sounded like. I know that I would hear how much he trusts me as he asks me to follow him.

And I know that when he mentions my name, he has full knowledge of who I am. He doesn’t just know my name. He knows me. And he calls me by name so that I know that I’m being set aside for something.

This is true for each and every one of us. He knows our past, he knows our future. He knows our strengths, and he knows our weakness. He knows our dreams and fears. So, Jesus calling out our names is not just saying he knows us by name. He’s saying he knows the fullness of us, even those we don’t know of ourselves.

So, when Jesus calls us by name, do we look at him straight in the eyes and smile back? Do we respond to him and take our first steps towards where he is leading us? Honestly, I don’t do that all the time. Sometimes, I feel like putting my hands between me and him telling him to wait. Or I would point back to myself and ask if he really meant to call me. Yet, he remains persistent and steadfast.

It made me wonder about the rich young man who did not heed Jesus’ call because he was rich and did not want to lose his riches. Did he end up spending the rest of his life restless with his riches?

I may not have literally heard Jesus calling me. I’m sure many of us have not as well. But I know that we can listen with our hearts, and we’ll know when he’s calling us. I hope all of us would rejoice hearing him say our names, and that we’ll follow him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)

Prayer: Lord, help me hear you when you call. Help me say ‘yes’ to you.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for lovingly saying my name.