I Corinthians 3 :18-23,
Luke 5 : 1-11 Full Readings
Leave Everything and Follow Christ
As we celebrate the memorial of saint Pope Gregory, the Gospel today teaches us a very important message of following Christ and also invites us to follow Him and participate in the universal mission of fishing souls for God. After Peter and his companions, the two sons of Zebedee has spent the whole night fishing without catching anything, Jesus tells them to cast into the deep and behold they had a great catch, and at last he tells them that from then they are to be fishers of people and they left everything and followed Jesus. This is also known as the call of the first Apostles. Let us reflect on some important messages from first reading and the Gospel.
Obedience to Christ. In obedience to Jesus’ instructions, Peter and his companions had a great catch. The Church has always seen this as a sign of the need for obedience to Christ. Obedience to Christ is very fundamental in our Christian life and with it we live as true Christians, for Christ is the head and leader of the Church and he is the only one who shows the right way. We are invited to always follow what Jesus instructs and teaches us so that we can be successful in life.
When Peter had seen the great miracle of a big catch, he could not imagine himself being before the Holy one of God and so he said, leave me Lord for I am a sinful man. However Jesus doesn't rely on his sinfulness but I'm the mission he was to entrust to him, that is the fishing of people. This scenario has two messages for us. Firstly, it teaches us that no one can be a disciple of Jesus without first admitting their sinfulness: Zacchaeus the tax-collector, and the woman who wept at Jesus’ feet (Luke 7.36-50) are other examples. This is the greatest humility and also a prayer to ask for forgiveness from God.
Secondly, there is no specific group or criteria that Jesus follows in choosing his disciples. He chooses us from whatever situation or status we are in and makes us partakers with him in the mission of bringing people to God. The fishermen could not imagine that they would become Apostles but they did and so this is an invitation for us to take part in the mission of Christ in whatever way or situation we are. We don't need to be religious or anointed people to do the mission of God, we do it the way we are.
St Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-four, wrote to a friend: "Jesus has so incomprehensible a love for us that he wills that we have a share with him in the salvation of souls. He wills to do nothing without us. The Creator of the universe awaits the prayer of a poor little soul to save other souls redeemed like it at the price of all his Blood." Therefore, our invitation is that, like the disciples left everything and followed Jesus, we should leave whatever might hold us back not to do the mission of God and follow Jesus our light.
In following Christ, we need to let ourselves be taught by him. To rely on our human wisdom for the wisdom of the wisest person in the world is foolishness to God as St Paul tells us in the first reading. Relying on our own wisdom is putting God aside and we shall never succeed. Imagine if Peter would have regarded Jesus as a son's carpenter who knew nothing about fishing and despised him not to tell him what to do. He would have got that catch but in obedience, he gets the great catch. God's wisdom is beyond anything we can think of and relying on it is the only sure way to our successes in life.
Reflect today on how ready you are to leave everything that holds you from participating in the universal mission of fishing souls for God. Are you ready to obey what God tells and teaches you? Are you ready to be foolish before God and let God shower you with his infinite wisdom? Pray to God that you will be able to accept him, follow him and do his mission.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, help me always to lean on you for wisdom and guidance as I participate in the universal mission of bringing souls to God. Amen.
Be blessed
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