Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
I can just picture impetuous Simon. Having landed his boat after a long fruitless night of fishing and this stranger asks him to use his boat as a “stage” for his sermon to the crowd…probably not something he was anxious to do. He would rather clean his nets and go home!
And maybe he did start cleaning his nets as this strange man began speaking. Did he pay attention at all to what Jesus was saying? (Luke does not tell us the content of Jesus’ sermon here.) But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He repays Simon for the use of his boat by granting him a catch of fish so large that his friends have to load some of the catch in their boat. Simon has a wakeup call! Surely this Jesus must be someone special. Miracles like this don’t just happen!
And Simon’s response? First, it was incredibility…how could this happen? His second reaction is the guilt he feels after being so skeptical about this stranger and his hesitancy to go along with his requests. But his final, and most important response, was to drop everything and follow Jesus. This Jesus had more to offer than fish. He was offering Simon the chance to “catch” people! Incredulous Simon never saw anyone like this; he was willing to go all in with what Jesus had to offer.
Have I ever had an “empty boat”? Have I ever felt that I was “at my wits’ end with no answers? Did I think to ask God for help in that situation? And did I trust God enough to say, “Okay, Lord, I am all Yours. Do what You know is best and I will go along with that”? That’s taking a chance….is it a chance you are willing to take?
Blessings,
Sister Catherine Fedewa, CSFN
