On Call

I have great respect for people who go above and beyond the call.

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." - Matthew 8:18-20

Some people have the kind of jobs that are far more than jobs, putting in long shifts and then being on call when they aren't working.  The first responders and medical teams in Las Vegas are examples of the committed who give and give.

Today's Gospel is a reminder that those who are called to be sons and daughters of God are on call more than not.  The stand at the ready and respond when needed.

It is easy for us to read the Gospel and walk away with an image of Jesus, but I believe Jesus wants us to walk away with a renewed self-image, a vision of God in us.

In this life, we are not to rest.  We are all called to be responders, running to aid those in need, comfort those in pain, offer a hand to those who have fallen, and hold up those who are struggling to stand.

We see evil in the world and look for quick fixes, laws and actions that we can enact to make the evil go away, but no matter what we do, we cannot eradicate it.  But we can mobilize to help when evil strikes, when danger comes, when disasters reign upon us.

So, to all the ready and able, we offer our prayers and our thanks.  And we remind ourselves that we, too can be ready and able, for there will be time to rest when all the work is done.

More to come...