Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings

“Here I Am, I Said; Send Me!”

Our readings this Sunday remind us that God calls each of us to mission in our own unique way. He does not call us because we are worthy or capable or talented. He calls us to cooperate with His grace because He loves us and wants us to be like Him. By virtue of our baptism, we are called to be prophets—to speak God’s truth to every one who will hear, especially within our families and social circles. Jesus depends on us to be His eyes and ears, hands and feet, and His mouth.

In our first reading (Isaiah 6:1-8), we hear Isaiah's description of his call by God to be his Prophet. Isaiah's initial response to God was typical of the reluctant servant - I am not worthy, I am sinful, send someone else. Yet, God, in His Grace, did not regard Isaiah’s sinfulness; He sent him on a mission to speak God's word. Isaiah's response then was, "Here I am . . . Send me."

In our Epistle reading (1 Corinthians 15:1-11), we hear about the results of Paul’s acceptance of his call by Jesus. Like Isaiah and Simon, Paul saw himself as unworthy, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle”. And yet, Paul accepted Jesus' call to preach the cornerstone truths of our faith - “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day.”

In our Gospel reading (Luke 5:1-11), we hear about the call of Simon (Peter) by Jesus, with the miraculous catching of an overabundance of fish. Simon's response was similar to Isaiah's - "Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man". Jesus did not see his sinfulness. He saw a loving and capable leader of His disciples and of His Church. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men." Simon's acceptance was similar also to Isaiah's: "They left everything and followed Him."

How does all this apply to me, you might ask? We, in our own way, are all Isaiah; we are all Paul; we are all Simon. We are all unworthy, sinful people. And yet, we are all given the ability and responsibility to accept the Gospel in faith and to proclaim it in word and deed; and without hesitating, to courageously identify and denounce evil . With God's grace (not our own), we will accomplish God's will.