While reading today’s Gospel, it is easy to close your eyes and see Jesus as depicted in so many paintings, sitting in the boat along the shoreline, dressed in a white robe and speaking to the throngs gathered to hear him. (The Lake of Gennesaret, today known as the Sea of Galilee, is located about 20 miles east of Jesus’s childhood home of Nazareth.) And there are numerous paintings of the disciples straining to lift into the boat nets brimming with fish. But at the heart of today’s Gospel, is Jesus saying to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” For most, this interaction does not conjure an instant image in our brains. But maybe it should.
What was Jesus really saying to Simon, a professional fisherman, when he uttered these words? More importantly, what is he saying to us in this passage? Was Jesus challenging Simon to look beyond what he did for a living and focus instead on something more important, to share his Good News? Were Jesus’s words to Simon, some 2,000 years ago, also intended to be a challenge to us today? That we not only seek meaning in our occupations but we also strive to be fishers of men?
If we want to take up the challenge Jesus gave to Simon, the best place to start might be to deepen our own prayer life; seek the help of the Holy Spirit to feel comfortable sharing the good news; and pray that those with whom we interact will find a place in their hearts for God.
With the Holy Spirit at our side, some of us might share the good news when we encourage others to attend services, invite friends to participate in a Bible study group, or simply share stories of our faith.
Maybe just as important as overt actions intended to encourage others to know the Good News, is the need to focus on living our lives in a way that reflects God’s constant love for us. To demonstrate our faith through our deeds means actively serving others, forgiving those who have wronged us, and being a friend who will encourage and support others when in need.
By living our faith, we, too, can show others the endless joy we share because God is first and foremost in our lives.
Steve Scholer
I came to Creighton to attend law school in 1976 and following 5 years of private practice I started what I thought would be a 4 year job to help Fr. James Hoff, S.J. raise funds for the Campaign for Creighton. Little did I know that the many wonderful people I would soon meet, both here on campus and across the entire country, over the next few years would lead me to stay and continue to support the mission of this University. My wife is a Creighton graduate and our son, Frank, is a Xavier undergraduate and Creighton law graduate. Our daughter, Paige, has both her undergraduate and master’s degree from Creighton.
I do not participate in social media websites so posting my personal interpretation about what the readings mean to me is a novel experience for me. However, being required to put pen to paper forced me to become more reflective about what God is really trying to say to me and this has helped me in my daily prayer life - to slow down and let the Word of God dwell within me instead of racing through the daily devotions.
