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As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-20

When Jesus calls the first disciples, they are busy fisherman. Like others at this time in history, a career was something you learned through apprenticeships. It was likely that they had been fishermen their entire lives.

Yet, the moment they meet Jesus, they are willing to drop everything and follow him. They left their nets behind.

In the Angelus we echo the words of Mary and pray,

“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.”

Repeating these words time after time, day after day begins to have an impact on our minds and hearts. We will begin, over time, to seek out opportunities to let God’s will be done in our lives. We will recognize our identity as humble servants of the Lord.

Like the disciples and like Mary, who left behind her plans to be an ordinary wife and mother with Joseph, we will be given the opportunity to leave behind a life we came to expect. We will leave behind what we feel is comfortable.

What we gain is complete dependence on the Lord who uses our gifts, skills, and desires to fulfill his will.

The disciples, who were fisherman, became fishers of men.

Mary, who was to be wife and mother, becomes the Mother of God.

You are to be something important, but God is calling you to be something important for him.

This may be scary, but our declaration of openness to God’s word is followed by the recognition of God’s presence:

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

God is with us today calling us to follow him.

What is he calling you to leave behind?

Jared Dees

Author Jared Dees

Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher, a popular website for religious educators, and the author of Praying the Angelus: Find Joy, Peace, and Purpose in Everyday Life .

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