5th Ordinary Sunday (Cycle C)

Is 6:1-2,3-8              1Cor 15:1-11              Lk 5:1-11

On 6 January 2001, at the beginning of the new millennium, St John Paul II, issued the apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, in which, at the very beginning of the apostolic letter, he recalls the words of Jesus Christ which we heard in today’s gospel passage: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4). St John Paul II says that these words of Jesus invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence. The simple reflection elaborated here is: the fishermen remembered their past catch of fish with gratitude, and enthusiastically followed the words of Jesus and casted their nets at that moment, and they got a good catch of fish which was an outcome of their futuristic confidence amidst their prior frustration of no catch the whole previous night. A similar attitude and disposition are needed in our lives.

The encounter of Jesus and that incidental experience made a deep impact in Peter, where he realized his unworthiness in being near Jesus. Therefore, he said: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man! (Lk 5:8). This link from today’s gospel text synchronizes with the other two readings of today. Prophet Isaiah and St Paul, too expressed their unworthiness. All the three were able to see their own past and were realizing their unworthiness in being the servants of the Lord. They were also confident to follow the Lord to work for the kingdom of God. This is the beauty of God’s ways: He calls the unworthy and makes them worthy.

As highlighted by St John Paul II in his apostolic letter, the strong instructive words of Jesus: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4) should reverberate in our mind. These words invite us to travel deeper within, for a deeper search. It is a call towards an inward journey, to find the beauty of God’s image and likeness that dwells within us. Like the good amount of fish that stayed beneath the sea waters, our real beauty rests deep within us. We should make efforts to dive into our inner selves beyond the outer shell of our unworthiness to get hold of the good wonder that is within.

Jesus, by profession was not a fisherman. But Peter and his companions were experienced fishermen. Still they were unable to make their livelihood inspite of their whole effort throughout the previous night. The inclusion of Jesus in their company made all the difference which they have never experienced before. It was a new experience for them in their profession of fishing because the gospel text tells us: they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink (Lk 5:6-7).

When we try to search for something precious trusting in our human efforts alone without the divine support, the effort may lead to futility. But with divine support, the precious is reacheable in great amount. This applies to our search for our own beautiful selves which is covered under our outer shell of impurity and unworthiness. Peter consciously felt the greatness of Jesus. He did not see him as a wonder worker or a miracle performer. Rather, he saw the divinity in Jesus Christ which made him to utter: I am a sinful man! (Lk 5:8). During the Holy Eucharist, we are before the divine sanctuary of the Lord which should drive us to realize our unworthiness and should instigate us to move towards holiness like Peter.

Again, the words: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4) of our Lord Jesus Christ is an invitation not only just to realize our unworthiness within, but also an invitation to find our real call and purpose of life. In the popular spiritual book, The Purpose Driven Life, the author Rick Warren writes: You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it… Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom “you” he had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you. While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they not unplanned by God. God’s puspose took into account human error, and even sin.

Emphatically, Rick Warren writes in the very first chapter of that book: The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfilment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.

This applies in the case of Peter. The real miracle in the gospel text is not the good catch of fish, rather Peter’s catch of his own purpose to follow the Lord. Therefore, he left everything and followed the Lord. Most often the time we set apart for our personal prayers, recollections and retreats remain to be superficial and does not transform into a real soul-searching exercise. In Peter’s case, so far, what remained to be a superficial search, turned out to be a deeper search. He was able to go deep within himself to find his call. To our astonishment, as an eventuality, he was the first supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, that is, the first shepherd to lead the sheeps. He became the rock upon whom, our Lord built His Church.

We too are called by the Lord to put out into the deep to catch our purpose of life. Only Jesus was aware where the good amount of fishes stayed. Therefore, he was able to instruct them where to throw the fishing nets. Similarly, the search for our purpose of life cannot begin with ourselves. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That is because we typically begin at the wrong starting point, that is, ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.

For example, we would not be able to understand the purpose of a newly manufactured gadget or would not know how to operate it. It is simply because we are not the creator or the inventor of that gadget or product. Only the manufacturer who made it could tell us its purpose and the way to use it. Similarly, our purpose of life too, rests with God, because He is our creator and He only can reveal the purpose of creating us. Peter was able to find his purpose of life through the divine master Jesus Christ and he fulfilled it. Encouraged by the divine words of Jesus, let us not stop our search of life just being satisfied with what we are now, rather, move further towards a purpose that is deep.