Daily Catholic Lectio. Sat, 17 January ‘26. Come, follow me!

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sat, 17 January ‘26

First Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

Saint Antony the Great, Abbot

1 Sam 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1. Mk 2:13-17

Come, follow me!

The words “Come, follow me” carry a quiet urgency. They are simple, but they change lives. Today’s readings help us see how God calls, how people respond, and how a single response can shape history.

When we look at the call stories of the Old Testament, a clear pattern emerges. There is usually a crisis or a need; God chooses a person; the person hesitates or questions his worth; God gives a sign or reassurance; and finally, the mission is accepted. Moses resists, Gideon doubts, Jeremiah protests his youth. The call unfolds slowly, through dialogue and confirmation. Yet even in these stories, the call happens in the midst of ordinary life.

The New Testament call stories are strikingly different in form, though not in spirit. Jesus enters people’s daily routines without warning. He speaks briefly. There is no argument, no explanation, no sign demanded. The initiative is entirely his. The response is immediate. Nets are dropped, tables are left behind, lives are redirected. Still, beneath this apparent difference, the heart of the call remains the same: God meets people where they are and invites them into something far greater than they imagined.

In the Gospel, Jesus encounters Levi at the tax booth, fully engaged in his work. Levi is not searching for holiness; holiness finds him. Jesus does not ask him to reform first or explain himself. He simply says, “Follow me.” Levi rises and follows at once. Later, he hosts Jesus in his home, surrounded by people like himself. It is as if Levi is saying, “This is who I am, this is my world.” He does not hide his past; he offers it. Following Jesus does not erase his story; it transforms it.

The first reading shows the same surprising logic of God. Saul is searching for lost donkeys when God is searching for a king. What looks like a failure becomes the path to a vocation. God’s ways consistently surpass human expectations. While Saul is busy with small concerns, God entrusts him with a nation. The call often comes while we are “on the way,” not when we think we are ready.

From these readings, three lessons stand out.

First, keep moving. Saul moves, Levi rises, Jesus walks from place to place. God’s call often reaches us when we are in motion. Stagnation dulls the ear of the heart.

Second, dare to stand before Jesus as you are. Levi does not pretend to be someone else. He allows Jesus to enter his real life. Authentic discipleship begins with honesty, not perfection.

Third, remove the distractions that drown out God’s voice. Noise, fear, and self-judgment can silence the call. Clarity comes when we let go of what holds us back.

Today we also remember Saint Antony the Hermit, the father of Western monasticism. His conversion began when he heard the Gospel words, “Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me.” He took the words literally and immediately. His radical response shaped generations, and his life later inspired the conversion of Saint Augustine. One life, faithfully lived, can awaken many others.

God’s call is never private. It echoes beyond us. When we rise and follow, others are quietly invited to do the same. May we have the courage to hear the words spoken to us today: “Come, follow me.”

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy