"Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him." - Mark 3:9
When my sons were itty bitty, we carried a "go-bag" in the trunk of the car. It had diapers, a spare outfit, extra Ninja Turtle underwear and wipes. We just left it in the car so there would always be reinforcements should we find ourselves in a messy situation. Our go-bag was always ready, but I also had to be attentive. I had to check to see if they'd spilled their drink or had an accident.
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells his newly-chosen apostles (most of whom are fishermen - hold onto this detail for a moment) to have a boat ready in case He needed to get away from the crowds. The word "ready" is from the Greek root word, "proskartereo" which means, "to be prepared and attentive to." Just like I had to have that go-bag filled with the right things and be alert to when I needed to use it, Peter, Andrew, James and John had to get the boat prepped and listen for Jesus to tell them when and if it was time to board. And the beautiful thing - Jesus didn't ask them to prep the horses or build a flying machine - Jesus told these fishermen to use the gifts and skills they had to serve Him and His mission.
How can you work on your gifts so you can be ready when Jesus calls you?
Lord, help me ready myself and the way I was uniquely created so I can serve You when You call my name.
Reflection by:
Abby Watts
Did You Know...
Abby Watts was a member of the team at Spirit FM 90.5, the radio ministry of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, for 15 years. She is now "helping moms love well" as the Content Manager for iMom, a program of Family First. She and her family are active members of Nativity Parish in Brandon.
