Luke 5, 1-11:
Sunday, 6th February 2022 (5 OT C)
This Sunday’s Gospel presents Jesus “teaching the people who were crowding around to hear the Word of God”. He teaches from the shore, but there are so many that he has to get into a boat and continue his teaching from there. When he had finished, he told Peter to put out into the deep to fish, who, after telling him about the difficulties they had had during the night, said: “At your word, I will let down the nets”.
And a miraculous catch was made. In the face of the abundant catch, Peter prostrates himself before Jesus, acknowledges him as Lord and sees his own unworthiness. Again, the saving words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be fishers of men”. Peter and the others, leaving everything, followed Jesus.
In the first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, the prophet recognises himself as a sinner before the manifestation of the Lord: “Woe is me, I am lost! I, a man of unclean lips, have seen with my eyes the King and Lord”. But the Lord forgives him and sends Isaiah as a prophet. In the letter to the Corinthians, in the second reading, Paul acknowledges “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church. But by the grace of God I am what I am”. Isaiah’s, Paul’s, Peter’s recognition of their own littleness makes the grace of God act and make his Word effective.
In their encounter with the Lord, Isaiah is changed to become a prophet, Paul becomes an apostle to the Gentiles, and Peter and the other apostles become fishers of men.
In my relationship with Jesus in my daily life, in the encounter with my brothers and sisters, in the Sunday Eucharist, am I aware of the greatness of Jesus in the face of my weakness? Am I willing to leave everything to follow him, to be his envoy, to collaborate with him?
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
And you, what are you willing to do?
