The Seasons: A Poem

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Sunrise over Amazing Grasses Family Farm The mad Artist wields His brush, Painted colors rush, To life and give flush, Before the quiet autumn hush. The life seems to pour, As colors fall to the floor, To be seen no more, Outside the dark, grey door. Brightness from below, Sun upon the snow, High, cold clouds blow, Flakes and ice appear to grow. The man melts with little seen, Underneath, pale, grey green, Hides life in dark unseen, Waits for warmth and to careen. Buds on branches show, Patience starts to grow, Trickles, streams and veins flow, Bringing fruits of melted snow. Sprung to life it springs, Bees, birds, sound rings, Lush green flings, Its gift bounty brings. Green growth gives one last rush, Underneath the Painter's brush. The mad Artist wields His brush, before the quiet autumn hush. More poetry is available from James M. Hahn in  The Last Dragon and Other Poems  available now. My new book of cryptogram puzzles " Secret Messages from the Saints " is avai
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Answering the call.

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Mark 3:13-19

I find the change in location to be interesting here. In the previous passage Jesus was at the sea. In fact, he asked that a boat be brought in case the crowds became too pushy. In today’s Gospel we find the Master and some of His followers climbing to the heights. In some translations it says He went “into a mountain.”

Jesus takes these men into the mountain for a specific reason. He pulls them away from the crowd, from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He takes them to a place alone, a place set aside in quite and solitude. He does this to reveal to them their vocation. He calls them to be more than mere followers. He calls them to be follower-leaders. He calls them to be men who will follow Him in a special way, even receive some of His power. He calls them to this vocation so that they might imitate Him in serving those who remained by the sea, to be fishers of those men, women, and children down below.

If we know much about human nature we can imagine that those “below” could have been jealous of the twelve. They could have asked themselves, “why are they up there and we here,” or “what makes them so special,” or “I know Matthew and he certainly does not belong up there any more than I.”

Today those complaints would sound like this, “what makes the priests to special, they’re no better than us,” or “why can’t women be priests, they’re just as good as men,” or “I knew Fr. Hahn growing up and I don’t know how they let him be a priest or even a bishop.”

What both of these groups fail to realize is that the men chosen to be at the top of the mountain or the men chosen to be priests of the Church were chosen by God. It was a calling then and it is today. Peter, James, John, Matthew or any of the rest did not insist on being brought up to the hills. In fact, they were probably reluctant to go and leave all behind. Father Hahn, Father Martin, Bishop Campbell, Pope Benedict XVI or any other who has received Holy Orders did not insist on their receiving their vocation. In fact, many of them struggled with it for years before climbing the hill to be with Christ and accept His call.

Now, a response might be that a person thinks they have a calling to this vocation. They may honestly believe God is calling them to be a deacon or priest. This person may be a man or a woman. However, what is needed here is humility and obedience. These Christ-like men and women must be willing to humble themselves and be obedient to those men whom Christ has called. This act of humble obedience will help them hear clearly the call of Christ. Christ speaks through His Church and His voice can be heard clearly in the successors of the Apostles, those men who received the call first on that hill above the Sea of Galilee.

What about the priests, deacons, and bishops who heard and answered the call and then turned their backs on Christ and His Church? Reread the last verse of today's Gospel.

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