Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
A few years ago our family had the opportunity to go to Guatemala to visit my sister and her family living in Antigua. While there, we climbed a volcano nearly to the top and looked out to a neighboring volcano with it’s top above the clouds. It was for me an unexpected experience of God’s awesomeness and grandeur through this magnificent part of creation. I recall another time before having children of my own that I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of my friend’s baby. Seeing that little one for the first moments of his life outside of the womb, I witnessed, again, the awesomeness of God in a new way. I can be overwhelmed by the power of God in these moments, and humbled.
I have thought that perhaps this is something of what Simon was experiencing in today’s gospel reading (Luke 5: 1-11), which recounts the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to follow him. The gospel writer tells us that Simon, along with James and John, had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. But Jesus got in Simon’s boat and instructed him to lower the nets again. This time, the nets were so full of fish that they were tearing and in danger of sinking the boat! Simon’s reaction was one of awe and an acute awareness of his humanity and sinfulness in the presence of this powerful Jesus. He is humbled and feels unworthy to be in Jesus’ presence.
Jesus, however, already aware of Simon’s humanity and sinfulness, simply reassures him, “Do not be afraid.” He then adds, “from now on you will be catching men.” We are told that the three fishermen then “left everything and followed him.” I think it’s particularly noteworthy that Simon did not let the awareness of his sinfulness keep him from following Jesus’ call. Jesus clearly was calling Simon Peter to more, and he answered that call.
God already knows who we are and is calling us to more. I find it tempting, when faced with my own sinfulness and limitations, to say to God, “I’m just not good enough, (or skilled enough, or wise enough, or gifted enough); surely you can find someone else to do your work, to lead, to serve, to minister…” But God knows each of us and is calling us in our own particular way. And God is reassuring us as Jesus did Peter, “Be not afraid.” “It’s okay, it will be alright; I am with you.” It was the simple, unlearned fishermen who followed Jesus’ call, not the wise, educated scholars and religious and political leaders of his time.
In a similar way, we hear today in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3: 18-23) that the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God. “If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God…”
Let us not underestimate God’s power to use us even in our smallness and sinfulness, for the same God that created this magnificent universe and all that is in it has conquered sin and death and given us life. Rather than expecting God to call someone else to do the work that needs to be done, let us pray for the courage to respond to the call in our own lives. Is there something Jesus is currently asking me to “leave behind” to follow him?
Like Simon Peter, may we be encouraged by Jesus to not be afraid, so that we may follow him in whatever particular way we are each being called today.
- Eileen Miller