God Calls the Unworthy—and the Willing: Isaiah, Paul, Peter, Mary, and Mary

Throughout salvation history, God’s call follows a familiar pattern: a person is confronted with the divine and immediately feels unworthy. Isaiah cries out that he has unclean lips. Paul calls himself the least of the apostles. Peter begs Jesus to leave him because he is a sinful man. Their stories remind us that God’s call is not about human qualifications but about divine grace that transforms the weak into messengers of truth.

But not everyone reacts with hesitation. When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, she does not protest her unworthiness—she asks how it will happen. When Mary Magdalene sees the risen Christ, she does not shrink away—she runs to proclaim what she has witnessed. What do these five figures—Isaiah, Paul, Peter, Mary, and Mary Magdalene—teach us about God’s call and our response?

Isaiah: Overwhelmed by Holiness

Isaiah’s vision of God’s majesty is staggering. He sees the Lord seated on a high throne, with a seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Faced with this revelation, Isaiah’s response is immediate: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips” (6:5). His instinct is fear—he sees his sinfulness exposed before God’s perfection.

Yet God accepts him. A seraph touches his lips with burning coal, purifying him, and then comes the call: “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah, now cleansed, answers, “Here am I; send me!” (6:8). His story reveals that God’s call does not condemn—it purifies. He does not seek perfection before sending us; instead, he prepares us.

Paul: The Least of the Apostles

Paul’s encounter with Christ is less a revelation of glory and more an act of divine interruption. He does not feel unworthy at first—he is too busy persecuting Christians. Yet Jesus appears to him in blinding light, knocking him to the ground with the question, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).

Years later, in 1 Corinthians, Paul reflects on this moment. After listing the witnesses to the resurrection, he calls himself “the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). He recognizes that his call was not earned. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain” (15:10).

Paul’s story reminds us that God’s call is not about past worthiness but about future mission. The same man who tried to destroy the Church became its greatest missionary. No sin is beyond God’s redemption.

Peter: Fearful but Called

In Luke 5, Peter experiences his moment of calling. After a long, fruitless night of fishing, Jesus tells him to lower his nets again. The catch is so overwhelming that Peter falls to his knees, crying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (5:8). Like Isaiah, he is overcome with fear in the presence of divine power.

But Jesus does not leave him in that fear. Instead, he says, “Do not be afraid; from now on, you will be catching people” (5:10). Peter leaves everything and follows. His story teaches us that God does not expect perfection before we follow him—he asks for trust. Peter’s faith is imperfect, but his willingness is enough.

The Virgin Mary: The Immediate Fiat

Unlike Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, Mary does not respond to God’s call with fear or hesitation. When the angel Gabriel appears and announces she will bear the Son of God, she asks only one practical question: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).

She does not protest her unworthiness. She does not ask for proof. And when Gabriel explains that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her, she offers her answer with perfect trust: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

What makes Mary’s response different? The Church teaches that Mary was conceived without original sin (CCC 491). Unlike Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, she had no stain of sin to make her hesitate before God. Her soul was already open to grace.

Mary’s response shows us what perfect trust looks like. While others struggle to believe they could be called, she says yes. She is the model of our response when we hear God’s voice.

Mary Magdalene: The First Witness

If Isaiah trembled before God’s holiness, Paul wrestled with his past, and Peter shrank in fear, Mary Magdalene stands apart. She, too, was transformed by grace—Jesus cast seven demons from her (Luke 8:2)—but when she encounters the risen Christ, she does not hesitate.

In John 20, she arrives at the empty tomb and weeps. When Jesus appears, she does not recognize him until he calls her by name: “Mary!” Immediately, she clings to him. Jesus entrusts her with a mission: “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father.’” She runs to the disciples and proclaims, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:17-18).

Mary Magdalene is called the Apostle to the Apostles because she was the first to proclaim the resurrection. Unlike the others, who responded to their call with fear, she responded with immediate action. She did not hesitate—she ran.

What This Means for Us

Isaiah, Paul, Peter, Mary, and Mary Magdalene each teach us something different about responding to God. Isaiah shows us that God purifies the unworthy. Paul proves that grace transforms even the greatest sinner. Peter reminds us that fear does not disqualify us. Mary reveals that perfect trust is possible. And Mary Magdalene demonstrates what it means to proclaim Christ without hesitation.

Their stories remind us that God’s call is not about human readiness but divine grace. Some of us may relate more to Isaiah, Paul, or Peter, struggling with unworthiness. Others may be more like Mary Magdalene, ready to run and tell the world. But all of us are called. The question is, how will we respond?

Lord, when I feel unworthy, remind me that you call the weak and make them strong. When I hesitate, give me the courage of Isaiah, the humility of Paul, the trust of Mary, and the boldness of Mary Magdalene. May I never let fear keep me from answering your call. Amen.