Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
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 they 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. (Luke 5:1-11)
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. This holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. Today marks the day when he died, March 17 and when we celebrate his life and accomplishments.
St. Patrick was a 5th-century missionary to Ireland and later served as bishop there. He is credited with bringing Christianity to parts of Ireland and was probably partly responsible for the Christianization of the Picts and Anglo-Saxons.
According to legend, this patron saint of Ireland chased the slithering reptiles – the snakes – into the sea after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook on top of a hill. This an appealing tall tale. It’s a legend.
How do today’s reading and Gospel pertain to all of us? The reading states we are to be serious and sober-minded so that we will be able to pray. And we must pray – whole heartedly. We are to let our love for one another be intense, because love covers our multitude of sins. We are to be hospitable to one another and those around us without complaining.
Each of us has received a gift, so we are to use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Christ was a healer, and all of us must heal as well using our words and actions reflecting God’s Word – Jesus, our Christ.
About praying and healing, I’m always uplifted by Martina McBride’ song “Anyway.” Google her original video where we see a crowd of people walking a street and coming to a stop light. We see what they are thinking – what they are praying. We hear their love, their fears, their requests. Some of the lyrics are:
God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway
This tune might help us with our prayer and give us the strength to persevere and meet our challenges head on. Not retreat from them. Yes, certainly now the world seems crazy. The US has gone crazy evidenced by the storming of the undefended Capitol and an increase in overt, racist behavior Christ would condemn. We are to push back. Like St. Patrick we are to chase out the snakes and Reptilian behavior that threaten to cripple our nation and erase what we represent to the world.
Our Gospel is about nets, fishing, and putting out into deep water where we lower our nets for a catch. It may remind us of a short fable from Aesop that reads:
A fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again it contained nothing but a single sprat that begged to be put back into the water.
“I’m only a little fish now,” it said, “but I shall grow big one day, and then if you come back and catch me again, I shall be of some use to you.”
But the fisherman replied, “Oh, no, I shall keep you now that I’ve got you. If I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely.”
Fish are elusive, and when caught, we tend to throw them into our bags to take home, even the little and undersized, illegal fish. Such is temptation.
Many of us Catholics, especially parents of young children, are like Aesop’s fisherman, and we are tempted. We insist they become practicing Catholics even when they don’t understand our faith and we do such a poor job modelling how a Catholic should act.
Unlike the fisherman who replied, “Oh, no, I shall keep you now that I’ve got you. If I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely!” we must show patience, understanding, and resolve – and put them back. We will see them again, in time, provided we “repent, and believe in the Gospel.” This means that when we go into deep water for those we evangelize and especially for our children, the nets we cast to catch them must be mended and made of Gospel compassion and love. That is the only way we will catch them, keep them, and have them follow Jesus. The Good News is the bait. St. Patrick understood how to be fishers of men, and women. So must we.
We end with St. Patrick's Prayer:
May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us against the snares of the evil ones, against temptations of the world.
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.
Deacon David Pierce
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