Two Simple Thoughts On Today's Gospel

Neither are earth shattering, but both are eternally true:

Number one:

"Other men have no power over me save that which I give them. On the other hand, my very existence is dependent on God’s will. Who then should I obey? The Apostles got it right; it cost them – all but one of them – their earthly lives. Obeying God over men will also cost us – and the price around here and in these challenging times is going up."

 

Number two:

 

"After reading today’s Gospel it is not hard to recall that the Apostles seem to be reliving their prior experience where Jesus told them to cast out their nets after an unsuccessful night

(Source: The New Theological Movement)

of fishing, only for them to fill their nets to overflowing. It was on that occasion Jesus told them He would make them fishers of men. They either failed to understand that direction or ignored it.

 

So Jesus replicated it on a smaller scale, reminding them to cast aside their despondency and doubt and go about being the fishers of men He had previously called them to be.  Much like the Apostles, we need to be reminded of our mission. We need to place our trust in the God who at one time stirred our hearts and souls and go about doing His work not our own. We are all fishermen but not in the same lake.

 

Like Peter and the other Apostles, we too disappoint our Lord and we also must hear and respond to the same question as did Peter: “Michael, do you love me? Then feed my sheep [not your own ambitions and interests].”