Call – SSJE

Even saints have to deal with the curveballs of life. They become saints not by quitting or resenting, but by persevering. As he remembers the life of Marie de l'Incarnation, Br. Jack Crowley reminds us that the inner lives of the saints were just as human as our own.

Jesus invited his disciples into a life full of truth. We have been given this same invitation. Br. Jack Crowley reflects on Jesus' invitation to his disciples, and us, to be courageously vulnerable in our encounter with God.

Even this man was challenged to accept being born again, “born from above,” to surrender my life to Christ in a community of mutual commitment composed of holy and fallible men. Br. Jonathan Maury reflects on a lifetime under religious vows and the commitment of God to him, drawing him again and again to Jesus.

If we are filled with a sense of wonder, though, we are also invited to be clearsighted about our reality, and be filled with a sense of purpose. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Br. Lain Wilson reflects on how our wonder at this mystery prompts us to bear the gift of Jesus to the world.

The call of God has a way of catching up to us all. So what would it look like to stop hiding? Br. Jack Crowley recounts Martin of Tours' call to both solitude and service, and invites us to contemplate what answering our own call from God might look like.

We must get comfortable with depending on Jesus, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel. On the feast of the apostle and evangelist Saint Matthew, Br. Jack Crowley reminds us that Jesus is always inviting us to follow him out of the comfort of our familiar routines.

But in this unmitigated praise of God, we can make present now the new creation inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Jesus, when all divisions are erased. In these troubled times, Br. Lain Wilson reminds us of our common and unifying call to praise God our Creator.

If you were to picture Jesus standing in front of you this day, what might he say to you? To what would he summon you? Reflecting on the many ways God's call comes to us, Br. David Vryhof asks us where and to whom that call sends us.