“One of the greatest moments in anybody’s developing experience is when he no longer tries to hide from himself but determines to get acquainted with himself as he really is”

We should every night call ourselves to an account: What infirmity have I mastered to-day? what passion opposed? what temptation resisted? what virtue acquired? Our vices will abate of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift.  – Seneca: (4 BC - 65 AD: Roman philosopher and moralist)

Gospel Text: (MK 1:14-20)

After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:

“This is the time of fulfillment.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Then they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

After John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus begins His ministry of proclaiming the Gospel of God.  Jesus says:  “This is the time of fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the Gospel.”  Jesus summons us to the on-going journey of conversion; to take a good look at our lives in the light of His teachings and to make necessary changes in our attitudes and behaviors.  The last thing that most of us want to do is take a good look at ourselves.  It can be frightening and so we clutter our lives with all kinds of things and thus avoid the hard work of confronting ourselves.  Jesus challenges us to cut through the web of denial that lulls us into a false sense of everything’s fine.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  There is no time to lose.  We have but today.