BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (# 11)
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – February 8, 2004
“They Left Everything and Followed Jesus”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 // I Cor 15:1-11 // Lk 5:1-11
Some years ago our class at Maryhill School of Theology celebrated the “Misa ng Bayang Pilipino”, the Filipino inculturated form of the Roman Mass, with the barrio inhabitants of Talim Island, located in the middle of Laguna de Bay, a beautiful lake in the Philippines. The following day, as the sun was rising, we went to celebrate the Morning Prayer beside the lake. As we sat meditatively on the sand, we beheld the enchanting beauty of that peaceful fishing village and listened with rapture to the water lapping against the shore. Small boats, called “bancas”, were lying upturned on the sand and fishing nets were draped on bamboo poles and fences to dry. The “bancas” and the nets were the life-blood of the fishermen and their families in that village. In light of this experience, I could vividly imagine the fishing episode described by the evangelist Luke at the Lake of Gennesaret. It was easy for me to glean the significance of Simon Peter and the other fishermen leaving their boats, nets and everything behind to follow Jesus.
The messianic mission of Jesus was to bring salvation to all, in accordance with the Father’s great redemptive plan. Today’s Gospel episode (Lk 5:1-11) begins with a description of Jesus fulfilling his work of evangelization beside the lake. In order to minister more effectively to the eager crowd pressing around him and listening to the word of God, Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. Jesus then sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. Seated on that improvised pulpit, his voice, as a true Teacher, resounded on the bank where the people listened attentively to the saving word. According to the authors of The Days of the Lord, vol. 6: “This is not a meaningless scene, but one that belongs to the Gospel; it is a parable in action. Actually, it allows us to contemplate in Jesus the Lord who teaches the word to the Church and to the countless multitudes to whom the good news must still be proclaimed.” Indeed, Jesus is the central figure of the task and challenge of evangelization. As the Divine Master who teaches with truth and authority, he is the origin of the Church’s prophetic mission to proclaim the healing and transforming power of the word of God to all.
The next scene portrays the power and efficacy of the word spoken by Jesus to the fisherman, Simon. After he had finished proclaiming the word of God to the crowd on the shore, Jesus commanded the boat owner who had worked all night without a catch: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4). If the night fishing was so unprofitable, the daytime fishing would be even more so. At the level of human logic, therefore, it seemed a preposterous command from a village carpenter-turned-prophet to a professional fisherman. Simon, however, acted upon the Master’s word: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets” (Lk 5:5). When he and his companions had done what was commanded, they caught such a great number of fish that the nets began to tear. They had to signal to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. All were deeply astonished by the “awesome” catch. Simon fell at the knees of Jesus saying, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8). But Jesus assured Simon and gave him a commission: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Lk 5:10).
Reflecting on this passage, the biblical scholar Robert Karris writes: “The symbol of fishing has a rich background in antiquity. Writing for those familiar with Greco-Roman traditions, Luke singles out that aspect of the symbol which was exploited by teachers who lured students to themselves and through their education of them transformed their lives. That aspect is the bait. Peter will be catching men and women with the bait of God’s word and thereby bringing them new life.” The liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent reinforces this idea: “Here we already have a picture of the Church and its mission, which will reach its full and mature form after Pentecost. The Lord is already preparing his disciples for their important role of preaching the Good News, healing and saving men and women, and bringing them into the bark of Peter.”
Indeed, the messianic mission of Jesus to bring salvation to all involves the vocation and response of his disciples and apostles. Participating in the Lord’s paschal saving mission through the baptismal waters and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we – Christian disciples and apostles – are called to this vital ministry of being “fishers of men”. Samuel Oyin Abogunrin asserts: “Today Jesus is still calling men and women to become fishers of the lost and lonely. We must listen to the Lord’s call, not worry about our abilities or our past experiences. We may have caught very little heretofore, but with Christ as our guide and helper we will discover that nothing is impossible. The Lord as never before needs us to go with our hooks and nets into our villages, towns, and cities, into prisons and hospitals, welfare centers and businesses, into government positions and universities – all the areas of the world where darkness reigns.”
Today’s Gospel passage concludes with an inspiring image of radical commitment and dynamic response: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him” (Lk 5:11). The Master who proclaimed the saving word of God to the eager crowd listening to him at Lake Gennesaret, and the Lord who challenged Simon Peter and his companions to put out into the deep waters to make an “awesome” catch, is the same Master and Lord Jesus Christ calling us today to a radical decision to follow him all the way. The response of Peter and his companions is a paradigm of our own total commitment to him and his paschal destiny. We must be willing to launch into the deep waters of his paschal sacrifice and to renounce whatever impedes the fulfillment of God’s messianic plan of salvation for all.
Do we wish to sit by the tranquil waters of Lake Gennesaret and listen to Jesus speak the saving word of God to us? How do we make this religious experience possible within us?
Are we willing to participate in Jesus’ mission of salvation and evangelization? What is our personal response to the Master’s command: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4)? Do we ever allow our human unworthiness and insufficiency to daunt us?
Do we imitate the faith-response of Peter and his companions: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him” (Lk 5:11)? Are we ready to let go of “everything” in order to follow our Lord and Master through his paschal service and destiny? Are we committed to our Christian vocation of being “fishers of men”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Jesus Master, you proclaimed the word of God to the eager crowd by the peaceful and enchanting waters of Lake Gennesaret. You also enlisted the collaboration of the fisherman, Simon Peter, by using his boat as an improvised pulpit for the proclamation of God’s saving word. The people sat by the shore in silence, opening their hearts to you and listened with rapture to the Good News that comforts the poor and the weak. Like the people by the lakeside, help us to listen to your comforting word. And like Peter, enable us to be generous with our resources and share whatever we can so that the word of God may be proclaimed effectively for people’s transformation and healing.
Lord and Master, you challenged Simon Peter with your powerful command: “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” The hard-working fisherman answered with faith and trust: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” May we imitate Simon Peter’s faith response and experience with him the awesome mystery of the miraculous catch, especially when our toil seems fruitless and futile. May poverty and insufficiency never daunt us. May our lack of success not discourage us. Help us to listen to your all-powerful word and fulfill your command on behalf of God’s kingdom and his saving plan to reach out to all. With you as our Lord and Master, we will have a marvelous and awesome catch. May we always trust in what you have said: “Do not be afraid!” May we have the courage to be faithful to our mission: “From now on you will be catching men.”
May we follow you all the way and never balk at any sacrifice entailed in our ministry as “fishers of men”. In our life of discipleship, may we leave everything and follow you, all the way, now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
The following is the bread if the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“They left everything and followed Jesus.” (Lk 5:11)
A. ACTION PLAN: Read Lk 5:1-11 slowly and meditatively, and repeatedly, if necessary. Use your imagination and allow the various images to impinge and delight your senses: e.g., the waters lapping against the lakeshore; the warmth of the morning sun, the cry of the fishermen, the kindly but powerful voice of the Master, etc.
B. ACTION PLAN: Pray for all Christians that we may realize the greatness of our vocation as “fishers of men”. Offer special prayers for the holiness and perseverance of the ministerial priests and for an increase of priestly vocations.
Prepared by: Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang, PDDM