The gospel is about how the Lord called Simon, Andrew, James and John. Didn’t you ever wonder why the call of the Lord to Judas was not recorded in the gospel?
Let me venture an answer. The call of the Lord to Judas is not contained in the gospel perhaps it didn’t have the same quality as the call to James, Peter, Andrew and John’s which was marked by their exemplary response to the Lord. In other words, the story of these people’s call was worth recording not for what the Lord asked them to do but for how they responded to the invitation of Jesus.
The story of their response was perhaps recorded not to show the fact that they were called but to point to the outstanding manner in which they responded.
It is the same with us. A man says “I want to be a priest.” A woman says ” I want to be a nun.” Another person says “I want to be holy that is why I want to serve the poor.” My being a priest doesn’t mean I am better than you. Being a nun doesn’t make one better than other women. If you are a grouchy nun, you are worse than a loving wife. If you are an irritable priest, a sweet husband is better than you. That is a way to please God.
In other words, our holiness does not depend on what God asks us to do but on how we respond to God’s invitation. Do not worry that you are not a priest. Do not be preoccupied that you cannot enter the convent because the convent and the seminary are not the only places to be holy. You can be holy in the kitchen, in the clinic, in the places where you work and even in the garage.
It is not what the Lord asks us to do but it is how we respond to the Lord that is important.
THE CALL OF JUDAS
Mt 4:18-22
