Homily
There is a lot going on in this Sunday’s Gospel[1]. The passage is full of important lessons about vocation, about forgiveness and the possibilities offered by faith in Christ. But, I think, there is also an important lesson about evangelisation – about the business of sharing our faith, growing our community and transmitting our beliefs to future generations. Think for a moment about when the change takes place – the moment when Peter goes from failing at his job to catching all those fish – its precisely the moment when, following the instruction of Jesus, he begins to fish to ‘deep water’.
When Jesus tells Peter to put into the deep – He isn’t simply giving an old fisherman useful tips – he’s speaking to us. He’s saying that if we want to be ‘fishers of men’, we have to avoid being shallow and superficial in how we live out and witness our faith. Once we do that – people will come, people will return.
For Jesus if our faith is to be relevant, if it is to be serious, if it is to be appealing and attractive it needs a certain ‘depth’ – it needs to be a part of daily lives, it needs to shape and fashion the way we live, the way we think and the way we approach the world. To be authentic, to be engaging our faith, has been thoroughly embedded in our personality.
Sadly, that’s easier said than done. We find it ok to be religious for 40 minutes on a Sunday but more difficult during the rest of the week. We find it ok to have faith when everything is sweetness and light but more difficult when things are dark and difficult. On the surface we’re Catholic, on the surface we’re Christian, on the surface we are disciples but often our faith lacks depth and substance. We tick all the boxes in so many ways but, in reality, God’s Word finds no root in our heart.
Pope Francis, in his usual challenging style, is quoted as saying ‘If you want to find the source of all the problems in the Church and the world……..look in the mirror’. Your faith isn’t deep enough, not convincing enough, its too fragile, too transient and too volatile. It doesn’t really shape and mould the person you are or the choices you make, its in your head but not in your heart.
Faith is about more than Mass on a Sunday or pennies in the plate. Faith requires to be immersed in the ‘deep waters’ of our lives, our families and our community. That is the kind of faith that makes us truly real and authentic disciples of the Lord, the kind of faith that changes hearts and minds and the kind of faith that renews communities.
Nourished by the gift of the Sacraments and encouraged by each other, may we always strive for that kind of faith and not be afraid to ‘put out into deep water’.
[1] Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
Awed by the miraculous catch of fish, Peter is called to follow Christ
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
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