Monk’s

Corner

5th Ordinary Sunday

Audio 

5th Ordinary Sunday                                                                                        Luke 5:1-11


Jesus is preaching to large crowds from Galilee as he is walking by the lake Gennesaret. We should remember that with Jesus there is no such thing as serendipity, he knows what he is doing and his actions have a goal. He never forces people do something but he can create situations that can lead them, and us, to a decision to accept or deny him. He pauses his preaching as he sees two boats and some fishermen at the shore of the lake. The men are cleaning their nets and so he gets into Simon’s boat and asks Simon to push the boat out a short distance from the shore, which Simon does. Simon thinks Jesus is a local rabbi speaking to these crowds and has no problem with allowing Jesus to do this. However, you and I know he is about to enlist the first apostles for his Church. 


After he finishes speaking he says to Simon, “put out to deep water and drop your nets for a catch.” Now remember that Simon has fished these waters since he was a boy. This is his livelihood, without which he, his brother and his wife do not have means of support. Simon tells Jesus he has fished all night with no catch, yet he says to Jesus “since you ask I will lower the nets.” Of course, he gets a bonanza of fish, so many Simon calls his partners, James and John, sons of Zebedee, to bring the other boat to get all the catch. They are all astonished at this catch. When they reach the shore we hear Simon’s first confession. He falls to his knees and says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus then says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” After which they left everything and followed him. 


Christ’s call of his first disciples shows the essence of vocation. True discipleship requires a detachment from the things of this world in order to believe in Jesus and his mission to the world. You will note in this gospel, he shows a special attachment to Simon. These are his first three apostles — Peter, James and John — who will form an inner circle in the events to come. They alone will be called to witness his transfiguration; to attend his raising of the daughter of Jairus; and they will be asked to pray with him in the garden of Gethsemenee.    


We see now how the wisdom of God differs from the wisdom of man. If a business man today wanted to create a world wide enterprise, he would choose leaders with proper degrees and reputation to lead such an endeavor. It is unlikely that he would choose unknown, uneducated fishermen. Yet Christ, who was about to organize, not only a world wide institute, but an everlasting one, chose these simple fishermen and made them his successors in the mission given him by the Father. 


It wasn’t that he was restricted in his choice. There were many highly educated priests and scribes in Jerusalem whom he could have convinced to join him, men who could preach and teach so much more eloquently than Simon Peter or James and John. There were Roman Centurions who were highly educated and would have been, much more paid attention to, in the Gentile world. There also were Greek philosophers whose very name would have given great prestige to the Gospel message. Yet it was none of these that Christ gave the the task of spreading the good news, it was to none of these that he gave the keys of his kingdom.


Christ was not interested in the qualifications of education or prestige. He judged the heart and the will. He knew the true worth of men. The Church he was about to form was not a worldly business but a spiritual ecclesia that would lead all people to salvation. The truths he was committing to his Church were not based on earthly wisdom which would require eloquence and prestige. They were the eternal, divine truths which did not need human indoctrination, no help from mere men.


Our religion is not man made, God is its author. thus today we should thank God for our Christian religion, a clear road to follow to our salvation. We can show our own little part, as humble apostles, weak but willing helpers of Christ. We don’t have to be eloquent or prestigious, we do it by living as true Christians in our homes, in our places of work, and in our recreation, by carrying our cross patiently, always ready to help others when their cross seems to be too heavy. This will be true apostleship of Christ because, as the twelve chosen by Jesus showed us —actions speak louder than words. 

 © JOSEPH MEILINGER 2025