Luke 5:1-11

Colossians 1:9-14

Psalm 98:2-3ab, 3cd-4. 5-6

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.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I have heard your Son’s voice and followed him. At the same time, I know that I can do better. Help me to overcome my fears, resist temptation, and bring others into your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus and Simon Peter: Earlier in the Gospel, Simon had hosted Jesus at his house (Luke 4:38). Now, Simon is working and washing his nets after a night of fishing. Just as Jesus entered Simon’s house (Luke 4:38), he now enters Simon’s boat. This enables Jesus to sit down as a teacher and teach the crowds on the shore. The call of Simon, then, doesn’t happen out of the blue. Jesus is careful to establish a relationship with Simon before calling him. He cured his mother-in-law in his home, and then helped him with an abundant catch of fish. Jesus taught in the local synagogue and then in Simon’s boat. When Simon heard the call to become a fisher of men, he had had deep, personal experiences with Jesus. Jesus showed compassion for the health of his family and his fishing business. And when Simon fell to his knees in humility and confessed his sins, Jesus raised him up and commissioned him to gather people into the Kingdom.

2. The Meaning of the Nets: There is deep significance in the image of the nets in today’s Gospel. The Gentiles were associated with the Mediterranean Sea and the 153 varieties of fish known in the ancient world. Jesus tells Simon Peter today, “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.” Simon Peter ministered first in Jerusalem and later in Rome. It is likely he fled Rome under the Emperor Claudius and was in Jerusalem for the council narrated in Acts 15. When the Emperor Claudius died, Simon Peter was able to return to Rome, and there he ministered until he was crucified upside down under the Emperor Nero. Peter struggled to minister to the Gentiles, but was faithful to the mission entrusted to him by Jesus. He truly fed and cared for the lambs and sheep of God’s flock. He was a fisherman who became a shepherd. He went from gathering fish into nets to gathering the scattered people of God into the Kingdom of God’s Son.

3. From the Power of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Son: In his Letter to the Colossians, Paul speaks about how he and Timothy are praying for the Colossians to continue and grow in the gift of knowledge and be strengthened by the power they have received. He wants them to be filled with knowledge of God’s will. This comes not through human effort alone, but through spiritual wisdom and understanding, which are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul and Timothy pray that the Colossians not only know God’s will, but also that they are strengthened with the power and grace to carry out that will. Just as Israel was delivered from the power of darkness while they were enslaved in Egypt and were formed into the Kingdom of David, so also Paul acknowledges that Christians have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of God’s Son, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to hear your call. Like Peter, I know my sins and how unworthy I am of your forgiveness and love. You are so patient with me and do not give up on me. Continue to guide me on the right path.

Living the Word of God: How can I heed Jesus’ call today? How am I called to bring people into the Kingdom of God? Have I accepted the wisdom of the Gospel?