Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Obedience to Christ Brings A Big Catch
Let us reflect today on the call of the first Apostles. The Gospel today teaches and invites us to follow Christ 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. This catch was very shocking that Simon Peter, in his actions in those few moments with Jesus; embracing his command, falling to his knees, acknowledging his sinfulness, and choosing to follow; demonstrated a great awakening in spiritual maturity. At last, he tells them that from then they are to be fishers of people; they left everything and followed Jesus. What can we learn from this call of first Apostles?
Obedience to Christ (Peter's receptivity). 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 and in our Christian journey.
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' (Peters repentance). However, Jesus doesn't rely on his sinfulness but on 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. God chooses ordinary people, like you and me, as his ambassadors and he uses the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives and work situations to draw others into his kingdom. Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the Gospel.
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 who 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 and participating in his mission, we need to let ourselves be taught by him not 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 this means we shall never succeed. Imagine if Peter would have despised Jesus as a carpenter's son who knew nothing about fishing and so he cannot to tell him what to do. He would not 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. Thank you for reminding me that you called simple and sinful men to follow you as your first disciples. You do not wish for me to be weighed down by my failings; instead, you desire me to follow you and to receive the abundant graces that you wish to shower upon me and anyone else who chooses to follow you. May this grace keep me serving you for endless ages. Amen.
Be blessed.
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