By Amy Schisler

“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'” ~ Matthew 4:19

Today is a joyous day for our family as we witness the coming into the Church of my grandson, Tucker David. How blessed we are to have the readings today telling us of the baptizing of the new Christians and the call of Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

In the second reading, Paul admonishes new Christians for arguing over whether they belong to Paul or Peter or to another in baptism (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul reminds them that Christ cannot be divided (1 Corinthians 1:13) and they belong to Him. Through baptism, we become part of the Church, God’s body here on earth. Though my grandson can’t possibly grasp its meaning, today is one of the most special days of his life. Today is the day he will be called by the Lord for the first time.

To whom do we belong?

Throughout our lives, we must make the choice: to whom do we belong? Many voices will call us. Many will try to steer us away from the Lord, to cause division among us, to lure us from the path God has planned for us to be “fishers of men.” There will be times in Tucker’s life when he will be tempted to follow those other voices. There will be times when the Lord’s voice will be drowned out by the cacophony of the world, but I will pray for Tucker every day as he grows and learns to become the man God is calling him to be.

Peter stumbled more than once. Andrew didn’t always understand the path he was to follow. John and James were, at times, power hungry or seeking vengeance. However, all these men heard the Lord’s voice, answered His call, and spent their lives trying to “make straight the way of the Lord,” as John the Baptist commanded (John 1:23). That is what Tucker is being called to do today. Joining God’s holy Church is only the first step in learning to listen for the voice of God.

Accepting the call to follow

Last month, I was doing a book signing in an old Methodist Church being used as the children’s center at a Christmas festival a few hours from our home. Ken and I were babysitting Tucker and his three-year-old sister, Evelyn, so we took them to the festival. At one point, Evelyn asked my friend, Ellie, if she would take her to see what was upstairs. My friend agreed and explained that it was a church. When they reached the top, Ellie said Evelyn gazed all around the sanctuary with a perplexed look on her face. Finally, she pointed to the empty cross and asked, “Where is Jesus?” Ellie was stunned that Evelyn recognized Jesus was not on the cross.

I’ve thought about this often over the past month, how an innocent child with no understanding of the crucifix noticed right away that Jesus was missing. It is my prayer for Evelyn and Tucker that they always look for Jesus, always expect Him to be near, and always accept His call to “Follow Me.”

Prayer:

Dear Lord, on this blessed day as we witness the baptism of Tucker David, may all those who have been baptized in the faith hear your voice and heed your call. Amen.

Call to Action:

Spend time today listening for the voice of the Lord. He is calling you. Prepare yourself to accept His path for you, His role for your life in His story of salvation. How will you respond?

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