Introductory Prayer: I trust in you Lord, yet how often I have I found myself trusting too much in myself and my things leaving you on the shore as I sail and fish the turbulent seas of the world in which we live. Help me, Lord, to truly trust in you, to never leave the shore without you. Lord, especially in those difficult moments of my life when it seems the hardest thing to do, help me to fulfill willingly all that you command me to do, whatever net you tell me to cast out, let me do it with true purity of intention and hope in your blessing. Lord, let me know my mission in life, and grant me the graces I will need to fulfill it.  

Gospel: Lk 5:1-11  

While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. 

1. "Depart from Me, Lord, for I am a Sinful Man." 

Why is Peter confessing with such remorse to our Lord? Had he not done as the Lord commanded, in lowering his nets out in the deep waters? The answer is in Peter's vocation story.  

It had all begun when his brother Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, came to Simon to tell him, "We have found the Messiah." Upon meeting our Lord, Simon became his disciple and heard the words, "you shall be called Cephas." Now, in this passage of the gospel we are reading we notice Peter returning to his nets and boat, apparently back to his former occupation instead of attending to the real work implied in our Lord's first call, "Come and see." At this point, Christ's original "Come and see" has to be translated into Peter's life as "Keep coming and you will see." Peter needs to learn that when it comes to dealing with our Lord you never reach a point when you can say, "Been there and done that; so why come again?"  

Peter seems absorbed in washing out fishing nets. Scripture suggests that there was a lesson that Peter needed to learn in order to understand what Christ wanted.

Peter and the apostles are tired after a hard night's fruitless work. Our Lord seizes the opportunity. With two boats on the shore, Christ chose to step firmly and definitively onto Peter's boat and into his life, shaking Peter out of his absortion in trivial, passing tasks of a bygone life. Christ took sudden claim to Peter's boat. We don't know Peter's reaction ("What's going on?" "Why my boat Lord?" "Can't you see it's not ready?" "Can't you see I'm busy?" "How about that other boat over there instead?" "Why me, Lord?") Often our first reaction to God's call for our life needs improvement. In essence our self-centeredness affects our trust and hope in Christ. We balk at our Lord's commands. From our weak and distracted hearts our Lord can hear our thoughts, "Go find someone else." Our Lord seems impervious, he knows Peter's heart is in the right place even though he needs some work, and he needs a new experience, even if it is humbling. that he seems tired and uncooperative at the moment doesn't matter to Christ. 

And why not? "The people pressed upon him to hear the word of God." There is no time to waste. The word of God urgently needs to be preached so that later it might be lived by these people and by all nations of all times and cultures. Our times are no different. The Church's permanent mission is bringing the Gospel to the multitudes - the millions and millions of men and women - who as yet do not know Christ the Redeemer of humanity, writes John Paul II.  

"Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land." Peter shoves off from the shore, setting the pattern for all who would be apostles, leaving the shore for the deep.  

2. "And He Sat Down and Taught the People from the Boat."

In the boat, Peter is captive and listens to our Lord. He watches him, and the way the crowd feeds on his words. He focuses once again on his Master as he taught them about the Kingdom of God. "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand ", "The Kingdom of God is like..." "Change your lives and believe in the gospel", "Your heavenly Father loves you and will give you what you need"... Peter's heart is touched by Christ's exhortation to repent.  

Do we listen to our Lord in real prayer and meditation? Have we learned to trust in our Lord and pray in such a way as to conquer the forces of our emotions and any other obstacle in life that prevent us from hearing the word to "launch out into the deep and begin fishing" Do I have to admit, "Depart from me, for I am a sinner" and say these words in sincere contrition and trust? If we aren't aware of our weakness we haven't yet figured out what is really going on. 

3. "Put Out into the Deep and Let Down Your Nets for a Catch." 

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear! But we must also do the will of God. It requires our full effort and participation. Anything less would cheapen and lessen the power of the gospel. "Not all who say, Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven." "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Knowing his lack of success during the night Peter must humble himself as he is put on the spot before the large crowd , obey his Lord, and cast out his nets. Peter knew how difficult it was to say he believed when he had to back up his belief with his actions. He had to obey the word of God in spite of his own recent experiences of having "toiled all night and taken nothing!" No small challenge and the stakes were high, with the multitude looking on and waithing to see what he would do. Peter must have thought of the empty nets the night before. Now in the noon of the day for all the world to see the crowd looks on and awaits the fruit of Peter's belief and trust.  

He has the courage to say, "But at your word I will let down the nets." Words echoed by John Paul II's challenge: "Into such seemingly unpromising waters you must cast your nets..., knowing that Jesus alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart." 

Peter trusted enough to let Jesus work his miracle. "And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and their nets were breaking." Can we trust our Lord enough to put his words into action in our daily lives, knowing how he will bless our efforts?  

4.  "And today..."  

That day our Lord preached from the boat of Simon on the lake of Gennesaret. He changed his name from Simon to Peter (the Rock on which he would build his Church), and gave him the keys of the Kingdom. Our Lord today preaches once again from the ship of the Church where at the helm is the Pope, Peter's successor. At the beginning of the new millennium of evangelization the Church rides on the immense and wide-open seas of the world. From these open seas she seeks the harbors of distant cities, nations and peoples preaching once again Christ's word.  

The number of those awaiting Christ is still immense: the human and cultural groups not yet reached by the Gospel, or for whom the Church is scarcely present, are so widespread as to require the uniting of all the Church's resources. We cannot be content when we consider the millions of our brothers and sisters, who like us have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, but who live in ignorance of the love of God. For each believer, as for the entire Church, the missionary task must remain foremost, for it concerns the eternal destiny of humanity and corresponds to God's mysterious and merciful plan. - John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio 

"The love of Christ impels us." What will I do for Christ? 

Questionnaire: This questionnaire is intended to help you to examine your life in the light of the inspirations God just gave you in these moments you shared with him in prayer.

1. In what things do I find myself just "washing my own nets", thinking of myself and my needs only? Do I do anything for others? 

2. What times do I set aside to pray and listen to Christ? Am I humble enough to repent and ask for forgiveness when I find myself straying from what God wants of me now, my present duties? 

3. What am I doing to "let down my nets for a catch", am I doing anything to spread my faith and bring others to know it?