Reflections from the February 7 Gospel
Luke 5:1-11
Just when business was finally booming, Simon and Company closed up shop. The timing was strange, really. After a lifetime of fishing to make a living, these men had just hauled in so many fish that “their nets were tearing” and “the boats were in danger of sinking.” Just imagine the profit on the other side of this night’s work! Most likely for the first time, wealth was within reach. And yet, just then, Simon, James, and John left their boats on the shore and followed Jesus in the task of “catching men.” This is astonishing. Not only did they give up their sudden monetary success, they gave up everything. And civilization has never been the same since.
Thanks in large part to the courage of these first apostles, our church has continued to flourish and our culture has been greatly enhanced. Those of us who are members of the laity are likewise called to follow Christ, of course. The tremendous sacrifices that priests and religious sisters make should inspire us. Their lives stand as a powerful witness indeed. Today, let us pause to thank God for these men and women and to ask his blessing on them all.
Questions of the Week
Luke 5:1-11:
How would you describe Peter in Luke’s call of the first disciples?
Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8:
What similarities do you see between the call of Isaiah and the call of Peter?
1 Corinthians 15:1-11:
Why do you think Paul refers to himself as “one born abnormally”?