Reflection for Thursday September 3 Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church: Luke 5:1-11

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 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.

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Reflection:

From ordinary fishermen to extraordinary fishers of men, this is how we can best describe the lives of Simon Peter, James, and John. They were ordinary people doing ordinary things, yet Jesus saw something in them that they themselves perhaps could not yet see. He called them, transformed them, and entrusted them with a mission greater than they could have imagined.

Who transformed them into fishers of men? Jesus! And why were they transformed by Jesus? Because they listened, they obeyed, and they simply followed the command of the Lord.

This reminds us that Jesus can also transform our ordinary lives into something extraordinary when we are willing to listen to Him and obey His call. We may sometimes feel that we are not important, gifted, capable, or worthy enough to be used by God. Yet the Lord does not always call the most accomplished or powerful people. He calls ordinary people who are willing to trust Him and say, “Yes, Lord.”

When we obey Jesus, extraordinary things can begin to happen in our lives. But how can we hear His voice? How can we know that Jesus is speaking to us when we do not see Him or feel His physical presence?

Jesus speaks to us through the readings at Holy Mass. He speaks to us through the priest who prayerfully prepares his homily. He speaks to us when we read His words in the Bible. He also speaks to us through the sincere words, advice, encouragement, and reflections of people who genuinely desire to lead us closer to Him.

Through these many ways, Jesus continues to call us to conversion. He patiently invites us to leave behind whatever keeps us from Him and to faithfully follow where He leads us. Sometimes His invitation may challenge our comfort, our plans, our pride, or even our fears. Yet when we trust Him, we discover that what seems impossible to us is never impossible for God.

Simon Peter, James, John, and the other fishermen had worked hard and had caught nothing. Then Jesus told them to put their nets into the sea once again. Humanly speaking, it may have seemed pointless. They were tired, disappointed, and perhaps ready to give up. Yet they obeyed Jesus.

And because they obeyed, they witnessed something extraordinary. Their nets were filled with fish—far beyond what they had expected.

How often do we find ourselves in the same situation? We work hard, pray, struggle, and sometimes become discouraged because we do not immediately see the results we hope for. We may even wonder whether God is truly listening. But perhaps, in those very moments, Jesus is inviting us to trust Him a little more, to cast our nets once again, and to believe that His ways are greater than ours.

The miracle did not begin when the nets became full. It began when they chose to obey.

Our obedience may sometimes seem small: forgiving someone who hurt us, choosing honesty when dishonesty would be easier, helping someone in need, returning to prayer after becoming spiritually distant, letting go of our pride, or simply saying yes to God's invitation even when we do not fully understand where it will lead us.

We may not immediately see the fruits of our obedience. But when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He can take our ordinary efforts, our ordinary lives, and our ordinary acts of love and transform them into something extraordinary for His glory.

Let us therefore never underestimate what God can do through us when we sincerely surrender our lives to Him. Like Peter, James, and John, we may be ordinary people, but with Jesus, our lives can become instruments of His extraordinary grace.

The moment we begin to truly listen to Jesus, trust Him, and obey His voice, extraordinary things can begin to happen in our lives.

So, are we willing to put our nets into the water one more time when Jesus asks us to—even when we are tired, disappointed, or afraid of failing again? What is the “net” that Jesus is asking us to cast today, and are we willing to trust Him enough to obey?—Marino J. Dasmarinas