Scripture Scribbles: February 06, 2022
the Gospel
Lk 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.
the devotion
“Duc in Altum”
“Put out into the deep”
The words that Jesus spoke to the first disciples. He asked them to “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” I can almost feel Simon’s humility. I imagine Simon was tired, and frustrated, after fishing all night and not catching anything and although he states this, he adds “but at your command I will lower the nets” He humbles himself, and although probably doubtful, grants Jesus' request. His reward?? So many fish!! So many fish that they needed a second boat to come help and yet they were still in danger of sinking!
I love how Jesus goes Big!! Like the water to wine? How much wine? Twenty to Thirty gallons? How many fish? So many fish the boats might sink! On the spot Simon is convicted, he drops to his knees saying “Depart from me Lord” Now Simon is calling Jesus Lord, there is no question in Simon's mind who Jesus is. Simon's encounter with Christ has happened and he is all in. One hundred percent. As too are the others who just witnessed this miracle. James and John are ready to leave everything and follow Jesus.
Ok, so those are the first disciples… But what about us? We are also called to be disciples. What does this mean in my own life? What is Jesus asking me to leave behind? What does “put out into the deep” mean for me? Where is he asking me to be humble and to trust him? If I know that Jesus is the path to eternity, the only path to spend eternity with God in Heaven, then of course I want to drop everything and follow him.
Of course I want my family to also have a relationship with Christ and to have their hope be in Heaven and not the promises of this world. To have humility to know that all our gifts are God given, and also realize the gifts of others are also God given. We don’t get to choose our gifts, but we can choose to live with gratitude for them.
We get to look for the little miracles in our lives everyday, whether it's the unexpected extra moment you got with one of your children, having that conversation that went a little deeper than the surface. Or that encounter you had with a stranger that you walked away feeling blessed by. That moment when you were able to block out the noise of the world and just sit in the presence of the Eucharist and receive the grace that's there for you. When you start to see all people as children of God and in that regard we are actually all the same, made in the image and likeness of God and we all have intrinsic dignity. Our lives are sacred, a true gift from God! So I think it’s time to “put out into the deep” and see what miracles await!
“Duc in Altum”
Today’s devotion was written by Beth Brennan.
