Gospel: Fishers of Men

Today marks the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, where the Gospel to be read in the Eucharistic celebration will be lifted from St Luke (click here for the Mass readings from USCCB).

Last Sunday, we heard how Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. In the verses that follow, Jesus travels to the town of Capernaum and begins his ministry of teaching and healing. While in Capernaum, Jesus cures a man possessed with a demon and heals Simon's mother-in-law. After spending some time there, Jesus prepares to preach in other places. The fact that Jesus had previously been in Simon's home and healed his mother-in-law suggests that this encounter is not the first between Jesus and Simon Peter. We can read today's Gospel, therefore, as a description of the developing relationship between the two.

In today's Gospel, Jesus teaches from Simon's boat. Jesus turns to Simon and instructs him about where to lower the fishing nets. Simon and others have been fishing throughout the night and have caught nothing. Simon protests, claiming that such an effort would be futile. Simon ultimately obeys Jesus and lowers his nets into the deeper waters as directed. Notice here that Simon Peter calls Jesus by the title "master." He already recognizes Jesus as a person of authority. They catch so many fish that the net begins to tear; Jesus' presence has created abundance out of scarcity, just as it did at the wedding feast of Cana, which was the Gospel reading at Mass which was opted out by the Feast of Sto. Niño in the Philippines.

Simon Peter becomes a follower of Jesus immediately. He calls Jesus "Lord" (the title given to Jesus after the Resurrection) and protests his worthiness to be in Jesus' presence. Today's Gospel, therefore, marks a turning point in the relationship between Jesus and St Peter.

Two of Simon's partners are also named as witnesses to the event described in today's Gospel: Zebedee's sons, St James and St John. Yet Jesus' words are addressed only to Simon. Jesus gives Simon Peter a new job, telling him that he will become a different kind of fisherman. No longer he will catch fish; instead he will catch people. In these words, we hear the beginning of the leadership role that St Peter will have within the community of disciples. St Peter was chosen for this role. His task will be to bring others to Jesus. Already he is doing so; the Gospel tells us that all the fishermen with St Peter also left their nets and followed Jesus.

We continue to speak of St Peter's leadership and influence in the Church today when we call the pope the "successor of St Peter." We participate in the mission of the Church when we bring people to Christ through the example and positive influence of our lives.

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Picture from Pexels.