Today we begin seven consecutive weeks of reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Today’s second reading is just the opening verse of the letter. We could easily overlook these lines as just the “Dear so and so” beginning of any letter. But there’s actually quite of bit of theology in Paul’s greeting.
In the opening greeting, four times Paul uses some variation of the Greek word καλέω (kaleō), meaning “to call.”
“Called to be holy” – κλητοῖς ἁγίοις (klētois hagiois)
We are all called to be saints. Through the gift of our baptism, God has made us holy, set apart. We are called to live our lives according to this reality. But we’re not finished products yet. We are holy, but we are called to be holy.
“Call upon the name of the Lord” – ἐπικαλουμένοις (epikaloumenois)
In our baptism we are made sons and daughters of God. This gives us the privilege of calling out to Our Father. He doesn’t just call us… we can call him.
“Church” – ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklēsia)
God does not just call us as individuals. He calls us together. The word we translate as “church” literally means “a calling out” or “a calling together, an assembly.” Like the great assembly of the Israelites in the Old Testament, God calls us into his holy Church, together.
“Called to be an apostle” – κλητὸς ἀπόστολος (klētos apostolos)
The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word meaning “to be sent.” Paul is saying that the whole reason for his call, his very identity, it to be an apostle, one who is sent. The same is true for us. In the last words of the Mass, the church is dismissed, literally “sent on mission.” The very word “Mass” comes from the word “to be sent.”
Like St. Paul, each of us is called to be holy. We’re called to lift up our voices in prayer to God, calling upon his name. We’re called to come together in God’s great assembly, the Church. Then, we’re called to go out and make the whole world holy. We’re called to be apostles. We’re called to be sent.