FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

[cappie]

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls on all of us to be catalysts of bringing people to Christ. There is still a great need to proclaim the love of Jesus to those who do not know the love, compassion, and mercy of God. The message has never changed, although the methodology may have.

In the Gospel, Simon is a master fisherman. His livelihood depends on the number of fish he catches on a daily basis. Imagine that, in addition to his physical fatigue, his emotional concern when his net comes up unfilled at the end of his shift. There are likely people counting on him and a payroll to deliver. Yet, on this occasion there is nothing. How many other nights had the net yielded no fish? Along comes Jesus to offer a helping hand. Jesus tells him to go out a little further. Simon is exhausted and perhaps a bit cynical. He listens to Jesus and goes deeper into the sea. Lo and behold, there was an abundance of fish, more than he could capture, so many that he needed help from his partners, James and John. They rushed out with nets and “ were completely overcome by the catch they had made.”

Those men delivered the fish to shore and dropped their nets to join Jesus in his ministry. As they discovered time and again, this was no simple mission. There would be days of very full nets and days when they would come up empty. Whenever they would feel a sense of dread, Jesus gathered them and reminded them of the assignment.

This passage reminds us that discipleship often requires repeated encounters with the sacred presence in our lives. Each encounter deepens the call, drawing us from curiosity to faith and, eventually, to a committed life of discipleship. It is easy to think that a single moment of conviction or inspiration will suffice to sustain a life of faith. 

Just like then, Jesus reminds those who may feel weary that if we “put out into the deep water,” we may catch some new fish.  The goal is to be a positive and productive presence in the mission of Christ and to work toward building a  Community. Fishers of people are as important today as ever.  

Becoming fishers of people requires a level of commitment from all disciples. Jesus did not promise that serving people was an easy task.  

 In the Old Testament lesson, Isaiah’s sin is blotted out as he becomes a messenger for God. When God says, “ Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?” Isaiah says, “ Here I am, send me” That is the commitment that God seeks from us today. We are being asked to go out and invite people in to hear the Word of God and to be nourished and fed. If the first answer is not “Yes,” that is not a signal to give up.

However, Peter’s journey suggests that a faithful response to Jesus is nurtured over time, with each encounter inviting us to trust more deeply and let go of our reservations. The call to “leave everything and followed him.” (Lk 5:11) becomes possible only when Peter has experienced both Jesus’ authority and his compassion in a personal and transformative way. 

In our  lives, we may find that discipleship also unfolds through a series of invitations to trust, each one a step deeper into relationship with Jesus. We might be drawn to the message of Jesus through curiosity, but it is through ongoing encounters—moments of insight, challenge, or comfort—that we grow into a life of committed discipleship. 

Like Peter and his fellow fishermen, we come to realise that following Jesus is not merely a call to faith but a call to transformation. We are invited to leave behind the life we know, trusting in the new purpose Jesus reveals, one encounter at a time.

When you feel overwhelmed, lean on God in community, release your tensions, and refresh your own soul. Listen to the words of our Lord, join hands with your community at the table of God, and partake in the nourishment that can only come from the body and blood of Christ.