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
I was listening to a priest speak to a group of young people about his vocation, when God placed a question in my mind: “Why not you?” Like Isaiah, I faced a decisive moment. There were no seraphim or burning coals. And unlike Isaiah, I did not respond so generously, or so quickly. Indeed, it wasn’t “Here I am,” but “There I was,” as I got out of there as quickly as I could. But, having let God speak to me so, I could not leave the question unanswered. It took me a couple of years, but I eventually figured out there was no “why not” even if I didn’t yet completely know the “why.” And I still have to pray constantly for the generosity to say, “Here I am; send me!” especially on those days when God’s call is inconvenient, uncomfortable or even painful, and I just don’t want to go there.
Mark Mossa, S.J.
Originally published July 15, 2006
