Todays Readings: Lectionary: 434

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church


Key

Bold = verse commented upon

Blue = comment

Highlight = direct command

Colossians 1:9-14

9 Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10 to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 98:2-6

2 The Lord has made his victory known; 
has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations, 3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
 the victory of our God.

4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth; 
break into song; sing praise. 5 Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy to the King, the Lord.

Matthew 4:19

Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men.

Luke 5:1-11

1 While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

4 After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”

6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” 9 For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10 and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

11 When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Comments

1.    God takes care of us once we start serving Him. St Paul covers the believers in Colossae with prayer in the first reading. Jesus makes provision for the families Peter, James, and John through the huge catch described in the Gospel reading.

2.    That provision starts once we take the first steps in obedience to God. St. Paul’s prayers came after the Colossians turned from their old ways towards God. The great catch described in the Gospel reading came after Peter maneuvered his boat at Jesus’ request and after he obeyed Jesus’ direction to put out for additional fishing.

3.    Although God provides, we have to work to receive His provision. Peter had to put out again after a long night of work, he had to get his newly cleaned nets dirty again, and he, James, and John had to wrestle that the catch to the shore. Someone else had to do the work necessary to use, sell, preserve that catch after Peter, James, and John left.  We see the same principle in 2 Kings 4:1-7.

4.    God expects us to bear fruit for Him once we have come to Him. Colossians 1:10 and Luke 5:10.

5.    We do not immediately reach full maturity/fruitfulness, but become more mature/fruitful the longer we serve. St. Paul recognized that; that’s why he prayed that the Colossians would “grow[] in the knowledge of God” and for “endurance and patience.” Colossians 1:10, 11. We also see that in the lives of Peter, James, and John; they had their missteps along the way, but eventually became very fruitful. 

6.    We will be scared/uncertain at times as we follow God; He knows that’s inevitable and makes provision for that too. Luke 5:11. For example, praising God bolters our courage. That may be one of the reasons we are told to do that in Psalm 98:4-5. Recalling God’s past faithfulness is another. Psalm 37: 25, 35-36; Sirach 2:16. We just have to take advantage of those provisions.