Come, Follow Me

I’m currently serving as a chaplain to a group of pilgrims in the Holy Land. I’m a pilgrim too, visiting and praying at the various holy sites. We spent three days and two nights in Galilee before heading to Jerusalem.

As the Director of Vocations the Sea of Galilee is a special place because it was here that Jesus called the first disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. We visited different sites around the Sea of Galilee and so were on different shores of it. My imagination took over many times, picturing Christ walking along and talking to the fishermen.

I read the scripture on the shore, Matthew 4:18-22. I read it several times. To think that it happened within walking distance of where I was standing. But also, what struck me, was the simplicity of Jesus’ call to them. “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

There is a great deal of trust that must happen for someone to follow someone else with knowing only a small amount of information. In vocation / discernment circles it is popular to describe someone’s vocation as a journey or road or path. And this isn’t wrong, but it’s more of a trek than it is a walk in the park. There is a sense of adventure and challenge that comes with a religious vocation, especially today. In a time when people won't go to a movie or eat at a restaurant without looking up reviews and ratings, joining religious life in a place that is unpredictable truly requires a brave soul and a genuine man of God.

Specifically, in the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres, the need is great for young men to answer the call. We cover eleven states - Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. We are the youngest Dominican Province in the United States, founded in 1979. We serve a region where the Catholic Church is growing! And to do this and do it well, we need more men. But with all of this, there is a challenge. In many parts of the South, Catholics are a minority and the Catholic Church is very much a mission church. A challenge like this is not for the faint of heart, it is not for those that want to live predictable lives, and it is not for those that do not have a great deal of trust in Christ.

“Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” -Jesus