My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act
of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. --St Faustina,
Divine Mercy in my Soul
Gospel Text: (Lk
5:1-11)
While
the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
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.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
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.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Simon was a professional fisherman
who knew his trade. For him to be so willing to do as Jesus said shows how much
he had come to believe in Jesus. He could have argued and said, “No way, Lord!
I know the fish aren’t biting. We’re too tired, and we’d just be wasting our
time.” But he didn’t. Rather, he did as the Lord asked, and the boat nearly
sank they caught so many fish!
Knowing that they hadn’t caught
anything the night before helps us see how Peter humbled himself and did as the
Lord asked even though it didn’t make sense to him. He trusted Jesus that much.
Not only did he trust, but he respected Him and chose to honor Him by his
obedience.
How often do we do what Jesus says
even when it doesn’t make sense? How well do we love our enemies and pray for
those who persecute us? How about forgiving 7 x 70 times? Even in the
promptings we get from the Holy Spirit, how quickly do we obey? Or do we try to
figure everything out so that it makes sense before we act?
Beautiful reflection fratello!
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