If you dare to be a “fool” for Christ…..The outcome of our life’s work will be anything but foolish…..”Put out into the deep”!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus asks he friend Peter to do something that did not seem logical…What do I mean by “did not seem logical”?…I mean from the prospective of the world, what Jesus asked of Peter surely would not work….But Peter does it anyway and shortly sees with his own two eyes that what Jesus suggested was not only logical but clearly the best course to take…….”Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”…….Truth be told, this is one of my favorite stories about Jesus and his friends……We all can learn so much from it…Peter was an establish person in the world…..And he encounters this man who did amazing things and spoke bold Truth…Peter could have left it there - But he did not! - He recognized who Jesus was and trusted him more then he trusted his own instincts….And as a result…..His life took an amazing turn…And bore fruit…More so then he ever could have imagined…..For those reading this today - Do you think this story does not apply to YOU as well?!?….Because it does!….Jesus asks us to “walk against the trends of the world”…To do what the world “thinks” is illogical…..At risk of looking like a fool……Yes - This is what Jesus asks!…..But if we trust him….I mean really trust him and abandon what the world believes to be “logical” and invest “all in” to the calculus of God…We too will do amazing things……The struggle is to “step passed” our fear…Its time to “put out into deep water”…That is where the “big fish” are!

“Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men”

What the Church and Jesus asks of us is the IMPOSSIBLE…Yes you heard that right…Its IMPOSSIBLE to do what Jesus asks of us on our own strengthen…That is our first mistake…We think as human beings do….We see what is asked of us from our own prospective….We forget that God is God and nothing he asks of us as Catholics is impossible…Do you know why?…Because as Jesus said….”Behold, I am with you always, even until the end of time” - That is a promise!…What Jesus asks of us is meant to look impossible to the world - That is why when we do it, the world will give glory to God and KNOW that clearly we did not accomplish God’s will on our own…..Do we trust in God’s Providence - I am mean real trust in him?…..Each person must ask themselves this question……I remember the day I got married….I was a fully formed Catholic….I knew what the Church asked of me - To be open to life - Not to use contraception……The priest that married me was a friend and we spoke about my concern the day of my wedding….Fr Louis assured me - God will provide…..And twelve years later - God did provided…As married Catholics in the world…God asks us ALL to “put out into the deep”….To do what the world says is CRAZY….And if you take God up on that “ask”…You will find that what seems impossible is surely possible and God will be glorified in the process…We as Catholics in the world MUST “put out into the deep”…This is the ONLY way the world will wake up….Know this, God will never be outdone in generosity!……..Jesus tells his friends in scripture….....”Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”……The road to heaven is narrow and there are many struggles…But KNOW that Jesus walks with us…He dares us to attempt the impossible…For our God is the God of the impossible and when the task is complete - The Glory will be his alone!…This is what our world needs to witness desperately…Catholic men and women who “put out into the deep”.

“He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”

Today in the Gospel Peter sees a glimpse of the Glory of God…..He is challenged by Jesus to do something that “does not make sense”….But Peter does what seems impossible…..And sees with his own two eyes the “logic of God”…We too must learn from this story…..We are hypnotized by the world and its propaganda - Far too many Catholics have “bought in” to what we are supposed to say, do and live like….Jesus invites us to “break that mold”…To forge a new way…In order to do that, we need grace - We need to develop an interior life - We need the Sacaraments and daily prayer...…Why?…Because fear holds us back….Jesus Christ conquered death…..His spirit is within us and we have ALL been grafted into his life at our Baptism….He asks us to do what the world calls impossible - What the world deems as foolish……If you dare to be a “fool” for Christ…..The outcome of our life’s work will be anything but foolish…..”Put out into the deep”!………….JMJ