Thursday of 22nd week, even numbered year

« Jesus said to Simon ’Do not be afraid ; from now it is people you will be catching.’ »

1 Co.3,18-23 Ps.23 Lk.5,1-11

"Now it happened that one day Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God.

Jesus caught sight of two boats at the water’s edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boat’s-it was Simon’s-and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat."

Simon gracefully accepts to move away a little further from the shore so that from the boat Jesus’ voice can be heard better for all to hear.

Jesus begins to speak the moment the fishermen have just ended their work, at the moment they give up trying for a catch and so they tidy away their materiel. On that day the failure of a catch is definitive.

Even when it is too late for men, it is never too late for God. God often asks us when we are tired and discouraged, to have the smallest of gesture that may seem tiny but which already gets us to get on the move to go towards him.

Here, we are at a decisive moment of the life of Peter who takes Jesus in the boat with him. The Good News is announced to the poor, God has come to him, he speaks from Peter’s boat.

We can compare this carrying of Jesus in the boat with Mary who also consented to bear the beloved Son of the Father.

« When Jesus had finished speaking he said to Simon, ’Put out into deep water and throw out your nets for a catch. »

Simon replied ’Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will throw out the nets."

And when they had done this, they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions on the boats

to come and help them ; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point."

When Jesus proposes to Peter to throw out his nets he is already thinking about the spiritual fishing hoard. Through faith and his confidence to the ’Rabbi’, Peter was able to go beyond the limits of his common sense, limits that were far too human. Jesus’ Word is stronger than all his evidence. On your Word, says Peter, I’ll throw out the nets. Peter throws out his net according to the Word, he will spread everywhere his eloquence just like Christ. In the name of Jesus, he will throw clear and efficient words which will allow him to save men.

Two thousand years afterwards the Church’s boat, tossed and turns on the waves, continues its way, having just one Word, that of Jesus Christ.

This is how the Word of God takes Body in our midst, the Word become flesh. God made man, asks Mary to ’lodge him under his tent’ in a wonderful way, in the mystery of the Annunciation. The Holy Spirit covers her with his shadow and the Word becomes flesh. God comes to our home, he becomes one of us, he walks on our path.

"When Simon saw this, he fell at the feet of Jesus saying ’Leave me, Lord ; I am a sinful man.’ For he and his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made ; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners.

But Jesus said to Simon : ’Do not be afraid ; from now on it is people you will be catching.’

Then bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him."

When God acts in our life everything becomes possible, but the hardest thing is to let his hands free to act. God who is the All- Other wants also to be the All Close, not only is he the All-Powerful but he wants to be the All- Loved.

Peter is seized with trembling with this fear announced by Scripture when God passes.

Peter said to Jesus : ’ Leave me Lord ; I am a sinful man. For he and his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made."

After the Word was given , something came about. Peter feels attraction and fright all at once. He is touched in the deepest part of his being by the one who’s sets him free, poor, available. In this prostration, the Word joins him in the deepest part of himself. Thus Jesus proposes we follow him, continue the adventure that has become. Humanity will begin living the Good News through the Apostles. The Gift of God will come to us ! The boat of the Church two thousand years afterwards continues its way announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are still in this boat and the love of God goes around the human heart.

We ask for the grace to be nourished by the Word of God as Mary welcomed it in the heart of her life.

Thursday of 22nd week, even numbered year

"Now it happened that one day Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God.

Jesus caught sight of two boats at the water’s edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boat’s-it was Simon’s-and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat."

Simon gracefully accepts to move away a little further from the shore so that once he is in the boat Jesus’ voice can be heard better for all to hear.

Jesus begins to speak the moment the fishermen have just ended their work, at the moment they give up trying for a catch and so are tidying away their materiel. On that day the failure of a catch is definitive.

Even when it is too late for men, it is never too late for God. God often asks us when we are tired and discouraged, to have the small gesture that seems tiny but which already gets us on the move to go towards him.

Here, we are at a decisive moment of the life of Peter who takes Jesus in the boat with him. The Good News is announced to the poor, God has come to him, he speaks from Peter’s boat.

We can compare this carrying of Jesus in the boat with Mary who also consented to bear the beloved Son of the Father.

« When Jesus had finished speaking he said to Simon, ’Put out into deep water and throw out your nets for a catch. »

Simon replied ’Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will throw out the nets."

And when they had done this, they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions on the boats

to come and help them ; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point."

When Jesus proposes to Peter to throw out his nets he is already thinking about the spiritual fishing hoard. Through faith and his confidence to the ’Rabbi’, Peter was able to go beyond the limits of his common sense, limits that were far too human. Jesus’ Word is stronger than all his evidence. On your Word, says Peter, I’ll throw out the nets. Peter throws out his net according to the Word, he will spread everywhere his eloquence just like Christ. In the name of Jesus, he will throw clear and efficient words which will allow him to save men.

Two thousand years afterwards the Church’s boat, tossed and turns on the waves, continues its way, having just one Word, that of Jesus Christ.

This is how the Word of God takes Body in our midst, the Word become flesh. God made man, asks Mary to ’lodge him under his tent’ in a wonderful way, in the mystery of the Annunciation. The Holy Spirit covers her with his shadow and the Word becomes flesh. God comes to our home, he becomes one of us, he walks on our path.

"When Simon saw this, he fell at the feet of Jesus saying ’Leave me, Lord ; I am a sinful man.’ For he and his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made ; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners.

But Jesus said to Simon : ’Do not be afraid ; from now on it is people you will be catching.’

Then bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him."

When God acts in our life everything becomes possible, but the hardest thing is to let his hands free to act. God who is the All- Other wants also to be the All Close, not only is he the All-Powerful but he wants to be the All- Loved.

Peter is seized with trembling with this fear announced by Scripture when God passes.

Peter said to Jesus : ’ Leave me Lord ; I am a sinful man. For he and his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made."

After the Word was given , something came about. Peter feels attraction and fright all at once. He is touched in the deepest part of his being by the one who’s sets him free, poor, available. In this prostration, the Word joins him in the deepest part of himself. Thus Jesus proposes we follow him, continue the adventure that has become. Humanity will begin living the Good News through the Apostles. The Gift of God will come to us ! The boat of the Church two thousand years afterwards continues its way announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are still in this boat and the love of God goes around the human heart.