Fifth Sunday of the Year C – 09 February 2025.
Reading: Is. 6:1-2a.3-8; Responsorial Psalm 138:1ac-2a.2bcd-3.4-5.7c-8(R.1b); 1 Cor. 15:1-11 & Gospel Luke 5:1-11.
The first reading presents us with the call of Isaiah who felt unworthy to be chosen as a Prophet. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds the Corinthian community of the advantage of believing in the gospel. In narrating the apostles’ call, the gospel tells how Jesus entered Simon’s boat and ordered him and his companions to put their nets into the deep for a catch. They did and had a big catch. Jesus assured Peter and his companions that henceforth, they would be fishers of men. Like the apostles, we too are charged to put all our mundane interests aside by following Jesus who always demands that we put out into the deep for a big catch!
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, today the Church prepares us to answer the call of discipleship by choosing the path of honour. In a world where people choose things over honour and service, our liturgy invites us to dispose of our minds towards turning our back on the world like the disciples. To fully comprehend the demands of our liturgy, it is important to go through the readings to draw some pastoral actions.
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Is. 6:1-2a.3-8) presents us with the call of the prophet Isaiah. It recounts how unworthy the prophet felt but stresses that an angel touched his lips with live coal assuring him of divine enablement. He was assured that his sins were taken away. To this, he heard a voice: “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?” and he answered in the affirmative: “Here I am, send me.”
In the second reading, (1 Cor. 15:1-11) St. Paul reminds the Corinthian community of the advantage of believing in the gospel because it saves. He further warns that believing in any other thing would lead to nothing. He narrates Jesus’ death and resurrection noting he is the last of the apostles. He assured that he preaches what the other apostles preached namely that the community is called to believe.
The gospel (Luke 5:1-11) relates the call of the apostles. It tells how Jesus entered Simon’s boat and ordered him and his companions to put out their nets into the deep for a catch. Although Simon complained that they did that all night and didn’t catch anything, he obeyed, and it resulted in a big catch of fish. At this, Simon fell on his knees saying, “Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man” because both he and his partners – the sons of Zebedee, James, and John were overwhelmed at the great catch. It was then that Jesus said to him, from now onwards, it is men you will catch – they left everything and followed Jesus.
Pastoral Lessons
- Rise above Your Limitations: The first reading challenges us to rise above our human limitations and work for God bearing in mind the call of the Prophet Isaiah who felt unworthy, but an angel touched his lips with live coal to assure him of divine enablement.
- Belief in the Gospel: St. Paul’s message which reminds us about the advantage of believing in the gospel namely that it saves, charges us to believe in the gospel as trusting in any other thing leads to ruin.
- Put out into the Deep: Rather than complain like Peter that we have spent years without breakthrough concerning our health, financial and marital status, the gospel challenges us to put out our nets into the deep – which means that we should trust some more as God would surprise us with the biggest catch ever.
- Confess Your Sins: By falling on his knees to say, “Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man,” Simon teaches us to confess our sins by going for sacramental confession as doing so would surprise us at what God would further do in our lives.
- Follow Christ: In a world where the devil appears in different attractive forms to trap us, we are challenged to imitate the apostles by following Christ who alone, is the way, the truth and the life (Cf. John 14:6).
Summary Lines
- The first reading presents us with the call of the prophet Isaiah – It recounts how unworthy the prophet felt.
- In the second reading, St. Paul reminds the Corinthian community of the advantage of believing in the gospel because it saves.
- He further warns that believing in anything else will not lead to anything.
- The gospel narrates the apostles’ call – It tells how Jesus entered Simon’s boat and ordered him and his companions to put their nets into the deep for a catch.
- Jesus said to him [Peter], from now onwards, it is men you will catch, and we are told, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Conclusion
It is not surprising that Peter and his companions who went out to earn a living left their profession (fishing) and their families to become fishers of men. While they left everything and followed Jesus scandalously, today we are leaving God and following every other thing. In a world where the allure of wealth and other trappings of materialism have swept many away with the waters of catching up with the latest in town, this is a double tragedy and a scandal too great to bear. May the Holy Spirit help us to imitate Christ on the royal road to the cross. Amen. Have a great week!
