February 6, 2022 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
We say those words at every Mass right before Holy Communion.
- In doing so we confess our worthiness to receive such a holy Gift in the Eucharist.
- We see our unworthiness in the presence of God.
Readings
In our readings at Mass this weekend we meet three individuals who are profoundly aware of their unworthiness in the presence of God.
- We meet Isaiah in the first reading, Paul and Saint Peter in the gospel.
Reading from Isaiah
In the first reading Isaiah describes how he is overcome by the splendor and glory of God.
- The sky is torn open.
- He sees God in all of his glory, power, majesty and splendor seated upon the throne that encompasses all of reality.
- The glory of God fills the heavens. The seraphim or the angels of fire surround him.
- In the scripture they are described as glowing like fire suspended in midair with six wings: two cover their face, two suspend them in flight, and two cover their feet.
- Their splendor is only eclipsed by the majesty of God.
- All of heaven cries out in an endless hymn, “holy, holy, holy lord God of hosts. heaven and earth are full of your glory.”
- There is a tremendous roar and everything shakes like an earthquake.
- Isaiah is breathless and totally overwhelmed by the majesty of this vision. His first thought is, “O no. I am going to die because I am a sinner and I have seen the glory of God.”
- Then a strange thing happens.
- An angel, one of the seraphim, purifies him with a burning coal.
- With that, God chooses him to be the one to bring his message to Israel.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
Our second reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is a precious account of the resurrection appearances of Jesus.
- Paul lists those appearances of Jesus to the disciples and to his followers.
- At the end of that list, Paul declares that the Risen Lord has appeared to him as well.
- This is the only place in the entire Bible where we have a first person account of the resurrection of Jesus.
- Paul states, “I have seen the risen Lord.”
- Unfortunately, he gives no description of what he saw.
With that, Paul confesses his unworthiness to be an apostle entrusted with the message of the gospel.
Gospel
Today’s gospel records an important experience of Peter’s encounter with Jesus.
Jesus gets into the boat
There is no glory, there is no majesty. However there is a magnificent display of God‘s power over nature.
- This day would change Peter’s life forever.
- Things would never be the same. From this moment on he would find meaning and purpose in life.
- There is some indication that Jesus and Peter know each other.
- Jesus boldly approaches Peter and gets into his fishing boat and directs him to put a short distance from the shore.
- It is from there that Jesus teaches those gathered along the seashore.
Put out into the deep
After speaking, Jesus directs Peter to put out into the deep and lower his net.
- This is a strange and curious moment because Peter is a professional fisherman and Jesus is a rabbi.
- Peter must have thought to himself, “what does Jesus know about fishing. We have been at this all night and caught nothing. This is my business; I know what I am doing.”
- Peter was an expert at fishing. The boat belonged to him.
- He knew that you don’t catch fish in broad daylight, especially if you’ve been trying all night.
- Nevertheless, begrudgingly he follows the command.
- The catch of fish is beyond Peters wildest imagination.
- He has to signal to his fishing partners to come help.
- Both fishing boats are filled to the point of sinking.
- That is the exact spot that Peter had been fishing all night with no success.
- Suddenly, Peter realizes the extent of the miracle.
- Although there is not the display of the splendor and majesty of God in the moment, there is the experience of the profound power of God over creation.
- All of a sudden, Peter realizes he is in the presence of God.
- In that moment he knows that he is a sinful person and not worthy to be in God‘s presence.
- As with the experience of Isaiah and Saint Paul, God invites Peter into a relationship that will change the course of his life and human history.
Application
As we hear these stories, the question emerges, “what does God ask of us?”
- If you turn to the gospel, the answer is simple: Jesus is asking to get into our boat with us.
- As long as we are in the boat by ourselves we have the power to control where it goes.
- However, if Jesus gets in the boat, then it’s time to surrender and he takes over
- “Were will Jesus lead us?” The answer can be found in his words to Saint Peter, “Put out into the deep.”
- In response to that invitation, it always entails stepping out of our comfort zone and taking a risk.
- Without doubt, Jesus wants more for each of us.
- He has a plan for each of us just as he had a plan for Isaiah, St. Paul, and Saint Peter.
- Jesus just doesn’t want us to survive in our spiritual life. To the contrary, Jesus wants us to thrive.
Gospel Challenge
Here is the gospel challenge for this week. Give yourself some time and reflect where Jesus might be calling you in one of these three areas of your life.
The first one is your relationship with God.
- Maybe the Lord is calling you to spend more time in prayer.
- Or, maybe if you haven’t been to confession for a long time the Lord is inviting you to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.
The second area is your relationship with other people.
- Maybe the Lord is asking you to spend more time with someone in your family or that you know who is lonely. Maybe all it involves it’s just a simple phone call.
- On the other hand, maybe there is someone that you need to forgive or to ask forgiveness from.
- The starting point for that is, “Lord help me to want to forgive”
The final one is your relationship with yourself.
- Maybe the Lord is asking you to let go of a particular bad habit.
- That habit may not be sinful, but it may be harmful.
- Maybe the Lord is asking you to discipline yourself.
Conclusion
Whatever the Lord is asking you to do, he is asking if you will permit him to get into your boat.
- If you invite him in, he will certainly get in the boat with you. Just trust him and give him whatever he asks of you.
- Maybe it will just change your life