Give God a Chance
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with Your holy gifts. Assist me, O Holy Spirit, in all my trials of life, enlighten me in my ignorance, advise me in my doubts, strengthen me in my weakness, help me in all my needs, protect me in temptations and console me in afflictions. Graciously hear me, O Holy Spirit, and pour Your light into my heart, my soul, and my mind. Amen.
Listening the Word: Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8; Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Reflection
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will
lower the nets.” Lk 5,5
Peter was an experienced fisherman, spending his life in this family trade from a very young
age. Jesus for his part, was the son of a carpenter, from the mountains, with little or no
experience about fishing. He knew Jesus was a very special person, after all, he had cured his
mother in law and heard his teaching from the boat. He respected him, calling him Master
without any doubt.
Peter obeyed the instructions of Jesus, not because they were right but because they were
coming from Jesus himself. Maybe he wanted to thank Jesus for what he saw in his house, or
because of the impression he had of his teachings. He had been working with his fellow
fishermen the whole night and they were even washing the nets. Going into the deep to lower
the nets was at least a great gesture of respect for Jesus and it was done with great effort,
sacrifice and patience.
When they caught fish Peter could not contain his feelings. The experience of grace received in
a personal way makes him realize his true state of sinfulness, specially in the presence of
Jesus. He knows he is in front of the Divine and feels unworthy to be there.
The answer of Jesus does not confirm his feelings of unworthiness, instead he embraces him
with a task to fulfill, becoming a “fisher of men”.
Peter’s experience is an example for us. We may know Jesus, we may have seen people who
listen to him or know people who serve him after receiving graces from him. We may listen to
his words ourselves, words that may sound full of wisdom and insights. He may be with us
already, in the place we work or with our family and friends. Maybe he is there to invite us to do
the same thing we do well but now with him at our side, following his instructions as our master:
in a more loving, forgiving, serving, self giving manner. When we give God a chance and go
deeper, in a more generous way, we experience plenty of blessings and graces: it can be
feelings of fulfillment, happiness, joy, or maybe new friendships, experiences, gifts we did not
know we had. These graces make us realize our sinfulness and unworthiness but at the same
time we feel the call to continue following Jesus, to keep serving him, listening to him and
bringing more people to experience the same.
Lord Jesus, help us give you a chance, to listen to your voice to go into the deep so that we may
experience the graces that you have prepared for us. May we become fishers of men together
with Peter.
Reflection Questions
When have you, like Peter, followed Jesus´ instructions even when they didn´t seem to make sense? what was the outcome?
In what areas of your life is Jesus inviting you to go deeper and trust in Him more fully?
