Carmelite homily for Sunday, January 26, 2020 – Lectionary 67 (Matthew 4:12-23)
One time I was taken to a concert, a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was so beautiful that as soon as it was over I said, ‘I want that in my life.’ And I began flute lessons; I joined a choir. I think that’s what’s going on in today’s Gospel. Jesus is walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and he runs into Simon and Andrew and says, “Come and follow me.” And they follow him immediately. It must be like they were so enraptured, so touched by Jesus, they want him in their lives. And then he sees James and John and says, “Come and follow me” and they do it immediately. They want him in their lives. Saint Therese of Lisieux writes in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, “I wanted Carmel as soon as I learned of it; I find all the aspirations of my soul are fulfilled in this Order.” I think it’s that same kind of ‘I want it as soon as I learn of it.’ It’s happening in today’s Gospel, it happened in the life of Therese. Let’s hope it happens in our lives.