“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).  

The major theme for this 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time focuses on our own vocation story as we just heard the 3 readings relating to the vocation stories of 3 prominent people in the Bible, the vocation stories of the prophet Isaiah, the apostle St. Paul and the apostle St. Peter.

A vocation is a call, a summon or an occupation to which he or she is especially drawn to or suited, trained, or qualified to serve in that capacity. In the secular world, vocation means a profession, an occupation, a career in life. In the religious sense, it means the "call" by God to salvation by way of the priesthood or to the religious life, or to marriage or to a single life of service to God and to God’s people. Therefore, everything we do should be ordered toward discerning and responding to the will of God, the ultimate good in an imperfect world.

Ordering our lives toward God’s desire is the way in which we get to heaven and obtain the eternal life of true joy and happiness.

Although the circumstances of each vocation story or call to conversion and discipleship in today’s readings are unique, they do share three basic components or discernable characteristics in their life-changing event. These characteristics are known as the “Three Rs”: (1) Realization, (2) Repentance, and (3) Readiness.

Each person called by God realizes his own unworthiness and the reality of his life. Each person repents his sins or wrong doings. Each person is given a new opportunity, a second chance to make amends, to become a better version of himself and to get prepared and ready for the tasks God is calling him to do to fulfill God’s will in his life, serving God and God’s people for the greater good of all.

Hence, today we are invited to examine their vocational experiences and to meditate and compare them with our own personal vocation or call to conversion and discipleship to the Lord.       

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topics invite us to re-examine our own vocation call to serve God and God’s people to fulfil God’s will in our lives.

How have we been “realizing” God’s mercy and blessing, “repenting” our sins and “readying” ourselves to fulfill our vocation call?  

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.