Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
Jesus was once by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and suddenly a crowd gathered to hear the word of God. He saw two boats at the water’s edge; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you say so, I will let down the nets.” They did so, and they caught a large number of fish. As the nets began to tear, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they nearly sank. Seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For both he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.

Fruit: Trusting in my vocation, what God wants for me, because it is He who calls.

Guidelines for reflection:
God initiates man’s vocation. He calls from the moment He wills, and man responds freely. But God calls us all to be fishers of men, to carry His message so that more and more people come to know Him. Are we willing to give testimony of our faith? The decision is mine.

1. A vocation for everyone
We all have a vocation, a call from God to existence. The birth of a new being is, simply, God’s call from non-existence to existence. This does not necessarily mean that we all must go to seminary, become priests or nuns, although they also receive a specific and concrete vocation. It means that God has a loving plan for each one, that He has thought out a concrete plan for me, as a Christian, in a family, in a job, in a specific environment. The Gospel we are reflecting on shows us the attitude of these fishermen towards their vocation. Certainly, it was a very concrete vocation: to follow Jesus very closely, during His three years of public life. But what lessons does it give us, Catholics of 2016?

2. Contemplating Christ
The first thing we must do in our lives, as the “fishermen” who would become the pillars of the Church, is to contemplate Christ. Peter and his companions allowed the Master into their lives. He was a stranger, asking to get into their boat, as if he believed he had rights. But these simple and honest men sensed that behind this Teacher there was something different, something important. He is not just any rabbi. Conclusion: they let Him get in, open the doors of their boat and their hearts, and once there, they listen to Him preach to the crowd. How much our current society needs to listen to God, slow down the frantic pace of daily life, and lift our minds to Him who has given us life, called us into existence, and given us the vocation to be men or women, to be happy, to enjoy the marvel of creation in a healthy way! Today, let’s make a pause, like those humble Galilean workers, and listen to what Jesus wants to tell us: God loves you, He wants your good, and He wants you to love Him.

3. In your name
After Jesus’ preaching comes the most interesting part, and also the most difficult in any human life. Jesus asks them for something, and something that, at first glance, is incomprehensible: a stranger rabbi advising expert fishermen when and where to fish? Unthinkable! “This teacher!”, Peter would think, “speaks very well, knows a lot about religion, but has no idea about fishing; to cast the net in the morning, after spending the night trying to catch something?” However, and here lies the greatness of man, Peter trusts blindly and responds: “In your name…”. After contemplating Christ, knowing Him, he trusts in Him and obeys. Putting his fishing skills into action, he doesn’t know how or why, he throws the nets and catches an impressive haul, so large that he has to ask for help from other fishing partners in another boat! That’s how Jesus acts: He asks us to trust in Him and rewards us, even breaking the logical rules of our lives.

Purpose: I will spend a few minutes in prayer to renew in my soul the vocation to love that God has given me.