"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel."

Jesus' call to repent (to reform your life), is a call for a major overhaul of values, habits, lifestyles.

Jesus came upon Simon, Andrew, James and John, at work, in the midst of their lives, ordinary fishermen. He spoke one sentence to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

They dropped everything, immediately, and followed him.

They had already been searching and Jesus called them because it was time, they were ready.

The nature of their change means that all values, all behavior, all relationships, are now to be judged in a different way. There is no going back without betraying the call.

From all the 'begats' of the genealogy of the house of David through Mary and Joseph, and the child Jesus, on through shepherds, wise men, you and me: each of us is called at home, at work ... wherever.

One day something or someone opens a door. You meet an understanding person or you read a book or hear a story. Something at the right time which shows the way.

Even then you don't necessarily change your whole life at once. It takes time for the message to become clear. It takes time for you to see the implications, to begin to do in practice what you are called to do.

Each person, each situation is different. But, the time comes, as it came for the Apostles, and so many men and women and children after them, when a real and very apparent change is demanded: you have to drop the nets, and follow.

What that means depends on the way God is calling you into the kingdom.

Through an illness: your own, or another's.

Through forgiveness, reconciliation about something you have done in the past and how that is affecting you now.

Through the social issues of our time: life issues; economic issues; global issues; none are disconnected. Through factions and quarrels claiming to be right, claiming to be exclusive, we live in a time that has many lands in shadow, in darkness, a world of desperate hunger and hatred and mindless destruction of people.

But, each time one person hears the call, drops the nets and steps forward to share in the mission of Jesus, a light dawns. In Christ you always discover who you really are.

When someone says Jesus rules, it means that Jesus has an agenda for you. Your part is to let yourself go in love and trust of the Lord. Then, God does most of the work.

And yet, to let go of your personal agenda and allow Jesus to come in and take over is, or can be, unsettling. What will he ask of you?A higher level of sexual morality? A greater generosity? More willingness to forgive? A genuine effort to overcome an addiction?

God is always looking for you, not to catch you, but to ask you to drop whatever keeps you from being the person God has called you to be from the moment you came into existence.

Do you have any idea what Jesus is asking you to do to make the way you live?

It would be good to re-read all of the story of Jonah. If you listen, you'll get the idea, so to speak, on how to live with God.