Today’s Gospel (Mark 1:14-20) emphasizes the “now” of God’s grace which is offered to us. As he begins his public ministry following his baptism, Jesus proclaims, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The disciples whom Jesus calls feel and respond to the urgency in Jesus’ words, as Simon and Andrew immediately abandon their nets and James and John leave their father behind to follow Jesus. Mark describes no hesitation, no deliberation about their choice; these men simply put their “yes” into action.
Jesus’ stress on the immediacy of the Kingdom and the disciples’ prompt response remind us that God’s grace is given to us not in the past or the future, but in the present moment. Today, let us meditate on these words of our Lord and on the disciples’ example, examining whether in our own lives simply respond to God’s grace offered in the present or perhaps overlook that grace by dwelling on what is past or worrying about the future.