Follow The Leader

There is the amusing little story about two men, on a sunny Sunday morning, out on a lake, fishing. The fish just aren’t biting. Finally, one of the fishermen, a bit discouraged, says, “Well, it is Sunday, and I suppose we really ought to be in Church.” To which the other replies, “Well, I couldn’t have gone, anyway. My wife is sick.”

In today’s Gospel episode, we read another fish story, of sorts. “Jesus is walking along by the Sea of Galilee,” and “sees Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net on the lake.” Christ’s first words strike them with such power, they immediately drop their nets to go with Him. He says, “Come with me; I will make you fishers of men.” Mark did not record whatever else Jesus said to Peter and Andrew at that first meeting. Rather, he gave us that one crucial little phrase that served to open the apostles’ minds and hearts of Jesus’ extraordinary proposal to follow Him:…