Por Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

We concentrate this 5th Sunday on our Christian calling and mission, and we turn for help to Isaiah, spokesperson of the Lord. His call and mission can remind us of our own call from God to love and serve Him and our brothers and sisters in faith.

Isaiah had a wide call to priesthood as he was of the priestly tribe of Levi. We among many are called as members of the Body of Christ. Isaiah‘s awesome vision in the Temple made clear his call and mission. Similarly, we enter our temple, the church, and are wondrously Baptized. Isaiah’s mission was to be prophet, ours at Baptism and anointing is to be bearers of God’s presence for all the world. Every baptized person is called and commissioned to share in Christ’s role as priest, prophet and ruler.

Priest: Together with the priest we too celebrate the Mass, and each of us offers personal sacrifice to the Lord by trials suffered with Christ. Prophet: We are taught the way to salvation to share it with others by our lives, but also at times by open profession of our faith before others. Rulers: We firmly believe that Christ lives in us. Our life is His. Thus, we sing “Christ Lives, Christ Reigns, Christ Rules!” Or at the Vatican, “Christus vivat, Christus regnat, Christus, Christus Imperat! Christ in us, and we in Him.

St. Paul often states with revealed certainty that as Christ died, we shall die; as Christ rose, so we shall rise. He says, “I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you,” and he recalls that Christ risen called him and the apostles and gave them their missions. He insisted that we too must allow Christ into our lives as Christians on our way to salvation. 1 Thes 4:14 is just one passage: “For if we believe that as Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep” Our life’s aim is to gain heavenly glory with Christ Jesus.

In Luke’s Gospel Jesus had taught the crowd from Peter’s boat. When finished He asked Peter to lower his net, though the night had brought nothing. The catch was so large that the call to follow Jesus was irresistible, and the mission of Peter and the Church became ours for all the ages: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Then Lord, save us! Help us to save others! Amen.