Sunday, February 04, 2007

 
Sunday Morning Gospel

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 along side 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.

Today's first two readings set up this gospel. Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8
Part of which reads "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"
" Here I am," I said: "send me!"

1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Part of which reads "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and
his grace to me has not been ineffective".

Hasn't everyone of us, at some point in our lives, perhaps only in childhood,
in the silence of our hearts said to God "send me Lord"!?

Who amongst us is worthy on our own merrit? God's grace enables to do take the
extra step, to persevere when all is against us, to face the challenge of boredom,
to set our human souls with divine like determination. It is God's grace alone that
turns the sinner into saint.

After listening to the gospel, I found myself asking in today's world "what is the net?" I think I asked the wrong question. It's not what is the net, it's who is the net. You and I, and every Christian are the net. Some of the netting is new and strong, some old and frayed, some weakened and easily torn, some torn. The commonality we share is the love of Christ, and even our torn mesh can be mended by the master fisherman himself.
posted by Maggie 2/04/2007 01:59:00 PM