And now the Lord Jesus began to call His disciples, and to make our salvation His anxious concern, always, however, preserving lowliness. He called Peter and Andrew on three different occasions. The first was that to which I have already alluded, when He was at Jordan, when they became to some degree acquainted with Him. The second was from the ship, when they had caught a multitude of fishes, as S. Luke records.1 The third was from the ship, as S. Matthew relates, when He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed Him.”2 Similarly He called James and John, upon those last two occasions before mentioned, and the account is to be found in the same parts of Scripture with those of Peter and Andrew. He called also John at the marriage feast, as S. Jerome says, though in Scripture it is not mentioned. He called also Philip, saying, “Follow Me,”3 and likewise Matthew the Publican.4 Of the way the rest were called, there is no record. Consider Him, then, and behold Him as He is thus calling His different disciples, and holding converse with them ; how affectionately He calls them, behaving towards them in an affable, homely, indulgent manner, attracting them inwardly and outwardly, introducing them into His mothers house, and sociably visiting their homes. He taught and instructed them, and made them His chief care, as a mother with an only son. It is said, and the tradition is ascribed to S. Peter, that whenever He slept in any place with them, rising by night He would look to see if any one of them was uncovered, and would cover them, so tenderly did He love them. For He knew what He was about to make of them ; although they were men of mean condition and of humble birth, yet He was about to appoint them princes of the world, and leaders of all the faithful in the spiritual warfare. And consider, on behalf of God, what were the beginnings of the Church. The Lord would not choose the wise and mighty of this world, lest the works which He was about to bring to pass should be attributed to their own worth ; these He reserved to Himself, and redeemed us by His own goodness, power, and wisdom.
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