Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11 Full Readings
Called, Transformed and Sent
Brethren, the central message of this Sunday's readings is that despite our unworthiness, sinfulness, state of being, the standard of living, and unclean lips, with our positive response to God's call, God transforms us and makes us fishers of his people to take part in his divine mission. The first reading and the gospel describe two calls, that of Isaiah, chosen as prophet, and that of the first apostles, transformed by Christ into “fishers of men.” When Isaiah first heard the call of the Lord, he became aware of his frailty. How could a man living among people with unclean lips and himself having unclean lips speak in the name of God? But God touched his lips with a burning fire, purged his sins, and he became a great prophet indeed. Peter, when called by Jesus to be a “fisher of men,” like Isaiah, felt unworthy and said, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ And yet Jesus chose him and his fellow fishermen for his mission. We are called by God to be prophets like Isaiah and “fishers of men” like Peter.
Thus, prophet Isaiah’s call in the first reading anticipates the experience of Peter in the gospel. Just as Peter was in the presence of the Lord Jesus, Isaiah was in the presence of the Lord God. Just as Peter was overcome by an awareness of his sinfulness, Isaiah was overwhelmed by an awareness of his sin. And just as Peter asked the Lord to depart, Isaiah recognized that he was unfit to stand in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah referred to himself as a “man of unclean lips.” This echoes how Moses initially objected to his prophetic call when he claimed to be a “man of uncircumcised lips” (Exodus 6:12). “The responses of both reflect a proper attitude of humility when a prophet is given a divine mission” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1178). Simon Peter manifests the same humility when he receives his divine mission from Jesus to be a fisher of men. Our call to become fishers of people first of all requires humility, a recognition of our sinfulness, and then surrendering ourselves to the mercy of God and his guiding hand.
In the second reading, like Isaiah and Peter, Paul feels unworthy of the vocation he received from God to be an apostle and proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He calls himself imperfect and unworthy of being called an apostle. But despite being a sinner, Paul became a great announcer of the Gospel. A man who persecuted the church became the greatest apostle, the apostle of the Gentiles, after being purged by God. We too can be like these and more people who, out of their unworthiness and crooked ways, have become great announcers of the gospel.
Withdrawing inspiration from these three persons in today's readings, when called by God, we should be ready to imitate Isaiah, Peter, and Paul.
Firstly, we need to have 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 and in our mission.
Secondly, when Peter saw 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 on the mission he was to entrust to him, which is the fishing of people. This 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.
Thirdly, 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. Sometimes. our sinful nature may become the stumbling block to serving God, but just like Peter Paul and Isaiah, he will transform us from our sinful states to heralds of his gospel. Have we forgotten that God will purify us and will do wonderful things through us?
Fourth, in following Christ, we need to let ourselves be taught by him. To rely on our human wisdom is foolishness, for the wisdom of the wisest person in the world is foolishness to God. 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 not have gotten 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 success in life.
Lastly, we need to be ready to leave everything behind (to detach) so that we can wholeheartedly fulfil the mission to which God has entrusted us. Sometimes, when we have plenty and in abundance, we think we no longer need God, not even take part in his mission, for we put all our trust in our material possessions, and it becomes hard to detach from them (remember the rich young man in Mark 10:17–22). Today, Peter and his fellow fishermen teach us that even when God has blessed us with abundance and a great catch, at his call we should be ready to leave everything behind and follow him, for those who leave everything behind and follow him will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29).
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 Him shower you with 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.
Blessed Sunday
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