4 September 2014
Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
“If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise.” (1Cor 3:18)
Imagine yourself in the place of Simon Peter in today’s gospel. After spending an entire night fishing (the occupation in which he was trained and had worked his whole life) Simon had not a single fish to show for it. He returns to shore and starts washing his nets. Right when Simon is about to return home to rest, Jesus approaches, gets into Simon’s boat and asks Simon to take him out just a little bit from the shore so that he can teach the crowds. Simon is tired but he rows Jesus onto the lake without complaint.
Jesus finishes his teaching, and Simon is more than ready to get home. It is at that moment of fatigue that Jesus turns to Simon and says, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (Lk 5:4) How would you respond?
The Lord at times asks us to do something, precisely when we doubt our abilities or the possibility of success. That is when we have the choice to become a fool and so become wise, or else to think ourselves wise and give up. Up to that point Simon had merely been a fisherman. It was upon seeing the results of listening to the Lord that he was able to give up all and become a fisher of men.