Sunday Meditation: Into the Deep

Having jumped over the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (because it was replaced with the Feast of the Presentation) we come to Year C’s Fifth Sunday, and we see the apostles in their original vocations as fishermen.  The scene is interesting.  Jesus is standing by the lake preaching and when two boats float by, He jumps into Simon Peter’s boat.  He convinces Peter to go back out and cast their nets into the deep.  The lake is referred to as Lake Gennesaret, which is another name for the Lake of Galilee.   One can get confused with the different names for the same places.  The symbolism of a boat for the Church is keen here.  Jesus jumps into Peter’s boat and guides Peter to catch fish.

 

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.

~Lk 2:22-40

 

I found that Fr. Cajetan Cuddy’s exegesis to be more insightful than the typical reading of this passage.  Fr. Cajetan points out two visions that come to head twice.  That of Peter and that of Jesus’s on fishing and then on the two visions of Peter’s potential.  Notice how he points out the intersection of the two visions.

 

For a pastoral homily I came across this very young looking priest from Australia, Fr. Sam French.  He gives a great homily.

 

He barely looks over twenty!  Nice looking young man too.

 

Sunday Meditation: "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."

 

Let’s get back to a John Michael Talbot hymn.  “The Jesus Prayer” is most appropriate for today.