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From: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

The Excellence of Virginity

[29] I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let
those who have wives live as though they had none, [30] and those who mourn
as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were
not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, [31] and those
who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of
this world is passing away.

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Commentary:

29-31. In their letters, St Paul and the other Apostles frequently remind us that
life is short (cf. Rom 13:11-14; 2 Pet 3:8; 1 Jn 2:15-17), in order to encourage
us to make the very best use of our time to serve God, and others for his sake.
“When I reflect on this, how well I understand St Paul’s exclamation when he
writes to the Corinthians, “tempus breve est” (1 Cor 7:29). How short indeed is
the time of our passing through this world! For the true Christian these words
ring deep down in his heart as a reproach to his lack of generosity, and as a
constant invitation to be loyal. Brief indeed is our time for loving, for giving, for
making atonement. It would be very wrong, therefore, for us to waste it, or to
cast this treasure irresponsibly overboard. We must not squander this period
of the world’s history which God has entrusted to each one of us” (St. J. Escri-
va, “Friends of God”, 39).

A Christian, therefore, should always be detached from worldly things, and never
let himself become the slave of anything or anyone (cf. 1 Cor 7:23; “Lumen Gen-
tium”, 42) but, instead, always have his sights on eternal life. “It is a great help
towards this”, St Teresa of Avila teaches, “if we keep a very constant care of the
vanity of all things, and the rapidity with which they pass away, so that we may
withdraw our affections from everything and fix them on what will last forever. This
may seem to be a poor kind of help but it will have the effect of greatly fortifying
the soul. With regard to little things, we must be very careful, as soon as we be-
gin to be fond of them, to think no more about them and to turn our thoughts to
God. His majesty will help us to do this” (”Way of Perfection”, chap. X).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 1:14-20

Jesus Begins to Preach and Calls His First Disciples

[14] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel
of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; re-
pent, and believe in the Gospel.”

[16] And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the bro-
ther of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. [17] And Jesus
said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] And
immediately they left their nets and followed him. [19] And going on a little farther,
he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat
mending the nets. [20] And immediately he called them; and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.

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Commentary:

14-15. “The gospel of God”: this expression is found in St Paul (Rom 1:1; 2 Cor
11:7; etc.) where it means the same as “the gospel of Jesus Christ” (2 Thess
1:8; etc.), thereby implying the divinity of Jesus Christ. The imminence of the
Kingdom requires a genuine conversion of man to God (Mt 4:17; Mk 6: 12; etc.).
The prophets had already spoken of the need for conversion and for Israel to aban-
don its evil ways (Jer 3:22; Is 30:15; Hos 14:2; etc.).

Both John the Baptist and Jesus and his Apostles insist on the need for conver-
sion, the need to change one’s attitude and conduct as a prerequisite for recei-
ving the Kingdom of God. Bl. John Paul II underlines the importance of conversion
for entry into the Kingdom of God: “Therefore, the Church professes and proclaims
conversion. Conversion to God always consists in discovering his mercy, that is,
in discovering that love which is patient and kind (cf. 1 Cor 13:4) as only the Crea-
tor and Father can be; the love to which the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ’ (2 Cor 1:3) is faithful to the uttermost consequences in the history of his
covenant with man: even to the Cross and to the death and resurrection of the
Son. Conversion to God is always the fruit of the ‘rediscovery’ of this Father, who
is rich in mercy.

“Authentic knowledge of the God of mercy, the God of tender love, is a constant
and inexhaustible source of conversion, not only as a momentary interior act but
also as a permanent attitude, as a state of mind. Those who come to know God
in this way, who ‘see’ him in this way, can live only in a state of being continually
converted to him. They live, therefore, “in statu conversionis” and it is this state
of conversion which marks out the most profound element of the pilgrimage of
every man and woman on earth “in statu viatoris” (Bl. John Paul II, “Dives In Mi-
sericordia”, 13).

16-20. In these verses the evangelist describes how Jesus called some of those
who would later form part of the Apostolic College (3:16ff). From the start of his
public ministry in Galilee the Messiah seeks co-workers to help him in his mis-
sion as Savior and Redeemer. He looks for them among people used to hard
work, people for whom life is a struggle and whose life-style is plain. In human
terms they are obviously at a disadvantage vis-a-vis many of those to whom they
will preach; but this in no way prevents their self-surrender from being generous
and free. The light lit in their hearts was enough to lead them to give up every-
thing. A simple invitation to follow the Master was enough for them to put them-
selves completely at his disposal.

It is Jesus who chooses them: he interfered in the lives of the Apostles just as
he interferes in ours, without seeking our permission: he is our Lord. Cf. note on
Mt 4:18-22.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.