Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Annual Catholic Appeal Sunday. Our Lady of Grace, all Masses. Isaiah 6: 1-2a, 3-9. I Corinthians 15: 1-11. Luke 5: 1-11.
What do you do when Jesus gets into your boat uninvited? Peter knew almost nothing about Jesus when Jesus got into his boat and asked Peter to push the boat a little way out into the lake so that he could speak to the people on the shore. Peter could have ordered Jesus to go away. After all, he had a lot to do. Peter had spent the night fishing and now he was mending his nets. Peter let Jesus into his boat for a little while. He let Jesus use his boat for a few minuets– and then the unexpected happened, Peter let Jesus tell him how and when to fish. Jesus said, “Go out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Peter answered, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught noting, but at your command I will lower the nets.” Peter agreed to let Jesus into his life work, his business, - a business that Peter thought he knew very well. Because Peter let Jesus tell him how to do his work as a fisherman, Peter and his companions caught so many fish that they were sure that their boat was sinking. Peter realized immediately that he was in the presence of the power and holiness of God. He pleaded with Jesus to depart from him because Peter saw himself very honestly as a sinful man. Jesus told him to follow him and he would show him how to catch human beings. Having taken a little chance on Jesus by letting him use his boat, Peter now took the biggest chance of his life. He left everything behind and followed Jesus.
Today Jesus asks us to use our boat. He wants to teach us how to do the business we know best. He shows us that when we follow him we can do things we never even imagined before. Jesus is not put off by our sinfulness. Jesus makes us his followers and his saints. That is his plan for us.
This is Catholic Appeal Sunday. I invite you to listen to Archbishop Flynn as
he talks about our
Next Sunday will mark my year and a half anniversary as
Pastor of our Lady of Grace. When your
parish council asked about my vision for Our Lady of Grace last fall, I told
them that this parish is like a magnificent ocean liner, polished, equipped and
gifted in every way. In all honesty, I
am awestruck by your goodness, your spirituality, your many ministries and your
generosity. I told the parish council
that I thought that it was time to take this wonderful parish community out to
deeper water for a catch. I have watched
you respond to the invitation to head for deeper water with great faith and
trust, whether that means deepening our prayer life and ministries here, our
reaching out to the Church in