Accept. Trust. Obey. (readings for Sept. 6, 2018)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us not to do

Commentary

Hyperlink

Reading 1 1 COR 3:18-23

Brothers and sisters: Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written:

God catches the wise in their own ruses,

and again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6

R. (1) To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

Alleluia MT 4:19

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

Gospel LK 5:1-11         

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. 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. 

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them.  They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 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." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

1.    We must accept that God’s knowledge and plans are far greater, and far better, than anything we can conceive of (first reading, psalm, gospel). See Psalm 33:13-15, Hebrews 4:13,  and the other scriptures collected at  Wisdom Principles: God Sees and Understands All. See also Isaiah 55:8-9. 

-->

2.    We should therefore trust His direction. It is perfectly informed, it is always good, and it always works good for us, others, or both (gospel). We must trust Him even though we do not understand why He’s telling us to do something, even if it seems to be at odds with what we would have thought of. See Proverbs 3:5-8.

3.    We must obey Him by actually doing what God tells us to do. We and others will be blessed if we do (gospel).  See James 1:22-25. That is not changed by the fact that we have fears or do not understand why God is calling us to do what He’s calling us to do. See Fear does not equal Failure and Doubt does not equal Disqualification.  

-->