February 9, 2025
Luke 5: 1-11
Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” we’ve just heard Peter cry out. Have we ever felt that way in the presence of God? Fortunately, our Risen Lord never abandons us, however down we may be on ourselves. Instead, Christ keeps “turning up” in our lives, just as Luke shows Jesus turning up in Peter’s life in today’s Gospel (Lk 5: 1-11) and the chapter preceding it (Lk 4). Let’s take some time to notice how Luke shows Jesus ever so gradually and persistently “turning up” to penetrate Peter’s mind and heart. As we do so, let’s be on the look-out for resonances with our own faith experience.
Luke tells us in Chapter 4 that Jesus has been going all around Galilee. News of him has spread like wild-fire. There was something different about this Jesus. He spoke with authority, in language ordinary people could understand. He also had extraordinary power and was doing extraordinary things. So Peter would have heard about Jesus before his arrival in Capernaum – Peter’s home town.
On the Sabbath, when Jesus went to the synagogue to preach, it’s fair to assume Peter was there – watching, listening – and like everyone else in the congregation, was awe-struck when Jesus drove an evil spirit out of a man and the demon screamed: “I know who you are, Jesus of Nazareth! You’re the Holy One of God!” How can this be? Peter may have wondered, lingering to get a closer look at this Jesus as other people left for their homes.
Next, Luke tells us that after Jesus left the synagogue, he went to Peter’s house! Did Peter invite him, hoping Jesus might heal his mother-in-law? Maybe. But on the other hand, we know that Jesus was not beyond inviting himself to dinner: Remember Zaccheus? (Lk 19:5).
In any event, Luke says that when Jesus came home with Peter, the whole family begged him to heal Peter’s mother-in-law, and as soon as Jesus “rebuked” her fever, it left her. She got up and helped serve dinner! Another miracle for Peter to ponder – this time in his very own house! And there’s more: At sunset, Peter watched people come to Jesus from all over town, bringing their relatives and friends to be cured of various diseases and delivered from evil spirits. This time, the demons’ cry, “You are the Son of God!”
When Peter left the house that night to go fishing, he had had quite a full day! And he would have ample time to turn all these events over and over again in his mind as he sat bobbing up and down in his boat all night, waiting/hoping for the catch that never came. Who is this man? This Holy One? This Son of God? S. Ignatius would say Peter was making an Examination of Consciousness – and advise us to do the same on a regular basis!
Chapter 4 ends with Jesus preparing to leave Capernaum: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God,” he insists, “because for this purpose I have been sent.” It’s clear in today’s gospel reading that Jesus sees he’ll need help, and has his eye on Peter!
It’s the next morning. Peter and his companions have just brought their boats back to shore after fishing all night, to no avail. They are washing their nets. Jesus is standing nearby! People are pressing around him, listening to the Word of God. And Jesus , seeing the two empty boats, “drops in” on Peter again: gets into his boat, asks him to push out a little from shore, and sits down to continue preaching to the crowd – as Peter looks on from his front-row seat! Sermon ended, the crowd begins to disburse, and Peter prepares to drop Jesus off on shore. Instead, out of the blue comes an order: “Put out into deep water and lower the nets for a catch.”
Peter might have been tempted to respond, “Been there, done that – all night long! The fish just aren’t running! There’s no use trying! (All of us have moments when we feel that way, don’t we?) BUT: the awe, attraction and fragile seed of faith taking hold in Peter’s mind and heart prevail: “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at your command I’ll lower the nets.” AND: Peter catches so many fish that he has to signal his partners for help. The fish fill both boats! Overcome by a sense of his unworthiness to be in the presence of this Holy One, this Son of God, Peter cries: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
Jesus has other ideas. Far from abandoning Peter, he reassures him: “Don’t be afraid!” And, far from rejecting this self-described sinner (and not-very-good fisherman if left on his own), Jesus calls Peter and his partners to come along: “From now on, you’ll be catching people.” They bring their boats to shore, leave everything and follow him.
When, where and how has the Risen Lord pursued us, “followed” us around, turned up in times of seeming failure or special need, opened our eyes to new horizons? How alert are we to Christ’s presence within us and among us in our homes, neighborhoods, towns, countries, world? In our labors and rest, our successes and failures, our hopes, dreams, discouragement, helplessness, perhaps even hopelessness? How conscious are we at Eucharist that Christ is gathering our self-offering into his One Perfect Sacrifice, and transforming the humble bread and wine of our lives into his Body and Blood, to be broken and poured out for others?
Countless people in our divided country and troubled world are oppressed by pervasive systemic injustice, seemingly endless war, disastrous effects of climate change. Against such odds, we may be tempted, like Peter, to feel there’s no use trying to help them. But today’s gospel challenges us, and today’s Eucharist empowers us to gather them into the nets of our hearts and prayers; speak out on their behalf, and find ways of offering then practical assistance. So with Christ in our boats, let’s go fishing!!
Luke 5:1-11
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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Meet Sister Mary Ann Cook, SNDdeN
