CALLED TO BE CAUGHT UP IN THE GOD’S NET : Is 6:1-2a,3-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11(5 C)

 

CALLED TO BE CAUGHT UP IN THE GOD’S NET

 

Is 6:1-2a,3-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11(5 C)

 

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

The miraculous catch of fish in the Sea of Galilee is told in the synoptic Gospels, but only Luke ends the story with Peter as both a believing disciple and a sinner. After the extraordinary catch of fish, in the Gospel of Luke, Peter was suddenly aware of his own weakness and unworthiness to be chosen to be a disciple of Jesus saying, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8).  Jesus does not hesitate to have a sinful disciple in his company because the sinners understand his message of forgiveness and acceptance well.

 

St. Irenaeus of Lyons discovers a pedagogical aspect of sin. He says that those who are aware of their sinful nature and weakness can recognize their condition as creatures, and the Creator greater than the creature. God’s purpose is not dependent on virtue or worthiness. He does not wait for us to be worthy before calling us to share in his loving service to others. Indeed, our very sense of unworthiness creates an opening for Christ to work through us. If, like Peter, we are called to work with Jesus, we will do so as wounded healers, trying to practice what we preach amid the stormy waters of this world striving to swim against the currents seeking the good catch of a Gospel proclamation.

 

We also need to be caught up in God’s net where life with its faults, holds out a promise of acceptance and hope. The Gospel of Mathew and John (21) narrate that the net caught various fish. Today, various nets of consumerism can easily tangle us in a mesh of artificial needs than the net of Jesus. What about the net of success ethics, with an exclusive focus on financial growth and the outward self, to the detriment of human and spiritual values? Also, the net of drug and alcohol culture, and the net of depression, despair, and suicide for those for whom life loses its meaning! We are reminded of the mind of Jesus who came to seek out sinners and bring them safely home. If he had a hundred sheep, and one went astray, he would leave the ninety-nine to go after the one that is lost. This message is central to the Year of Jubilee proclaimed by the Holy Father!!!

Our strength is not enough to grip the sinner in the net. Trust in the Word of the one who will never leave us alone. Peter said, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command, I will lower the nets” (Lk 5:5). We can understand this response of Peter concerning the words of Mary at the wedding at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5)! And it is in the confident fulfillment of the Lord’s will that he wants sinner to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the Gospel.

 

“The cross of the Lord is become the tree of life for us” (Divine Office)