5th Sunday - Fishers of Men

 

In the Gospel today, Jesus got into a boat belonging to Simon Peter. And asked him to push the boat out onto the lake. Why would Jesus get into a boat and ask Peter to put out a short distance from the shore? It was a practical thing to do because of the large crowd. While on the shore, not everyone could see or hear Him, but by getting into a boat, it was much easier for all to see and hear.

Peter’s boat represents the Church, and Peter would become the head of the Church as the Vicar of Christ and helmsmen of the Church. We have heard the phrase, the bark of Peter. The bark is symbolic of the Church. After Jesus finished speaking, He asked Peter to throw out the nets into the deep water and they caught such a large number of fish the two boats were on the verge of sinking. When Peter saw this, he fell to his knees saying, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus then told Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. Our Lord’s words that Peter would be catching men, would come to fruition especially on Pentecost.

Recall after the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles in the form of fire and wind, Peter boldly proclaimed, all needed to repent and be baptized, whom they had crucified. And that day, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles baptized three thousand souls. Through Peter many would be caught for the kingdom and become members of the church and so now the Church, the boat, is filled with men, women and children (the fish). The early Christians used the sign of a fish, as a secret way people new they were Christian.

Later, Peter and all the apostles would hear confessions, baptize men, women and children, anoint the sick, offer the Mass and impart the other sacraments. I would like to use St. Mark and St. Peter as an example.

St. Peter sent Mark to Egypt to preach the Gospel. Mark was so successful in his teaching thousands of idols were thrown from their altars, and numberless heathens adopted the true faith. Mark increased the number of the faithful by his preaching, his holy life and by the many miracles he had performed on people. He was truly a fisher of men. He governed the church there for 19 years until idol worshipers attacked him when he was offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass. They bound him and dragged through the streets killing him.

When Peter offered Mass, he would sit in a wooden chair and the people would carry his chair from place to place so whenever Peter offered Mass, he would sit in it. It was called the chair of Peter. Today, this chair is located in St. Peter’s basilica encased in bronze and has the symbolic meaning that when the pope speaks from the Chair of St. Peter, he manifests his God given authority to bind and loosen with regard to faith or morals. The chair is proof Peter offered Mass.

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, he saw the Lord seated on a lofty throne and Seraphim angels stationed above, and the angels cried out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts! All the earth is filled with your glory!” During the Holy Holy Holy myriads of angels came down from heaven to surround the altar and fill the church. The Mass is the most sublime action of a priest. For truly at Mass, heaven is opened and we join the angels and saints in heaven worshiping the Lord on His lofty throne. At Mass Calvary is re-presented on the altar and we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Just imagine the same power God gave to the apostles, he gave to the priests today. And Jesus does all this through the priest.

At Mass by human hands and a human voice of the priest Jesus changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. What an incredible gift! St. Francis of Assisi said, “Let the heavens shake and the earth tremble, when God, the Son of the living God becomes present on the altar in the hands of the priest.”

Through the hands of a priest, children and adults are baptized and Jesus in Confession forgives mortal and venial sins by the words of absolution and blessing of a priest. Oh the incredible mercy of God in the confessional or when a 90 year old is baptized just before she dies. Jesus imparts his graces and mercy through priests today in a silent by by incredibly powerful way.

When a priest is ordained, he can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me!” Through an ordained man, Jesus performs these actions and sacramental grace is given to God’s people in every time and place.

Every priest is a sinner, who is trying to be a saint. Every priest has faults and failings and at times says or does things that can offend others just like everyone else, and so they are just like the apostles. Peter denied Jesus three times. James and John wanted to call down fire and destroy those who rejected Jesus and they wanted to sit at the right hand of Jesus and the other apostles became jealous of them. But Jesus chooses human beings with faults and failings to do His divine work among us today. In my experience, when a priest does or says something that may hurt others, people very easily forgive, because they realize priests are human.

As a young boy, when I went fishing with my father. I never would have thought I would be a fisher of men. I remember the first fish I caught as a child was a big fish and even today its the largest fish I ever caught. When ever St. John Vianney heard the confession of a penitent who hadn’t been to confession for years, he would say, “I caught a big fish.” Priests are fishers of men.

As a young priest, I estimated number of confessions I heard in first 3 years from ordination, which was 5000 confessions. Just imagine how many more confessions in nearly 18 years. St. Maximilian recorded all his sacraments and once ordained, I too began to keep track of the number of Masses, weddings and baptisms. Since my ordination, I offered 8941 Masses, performed 391 baptisms and officiated 68 weddings. I gave anointing of the sick to about 10,000 people. All of these sacramental graces are occasions Jesus touched the lives and souls of people and their families. To each and every person God did wonderful things through me. How humbling to see the action of Jesus! By just reflecting upon my life as a priest, I can clearly see God’s love for His people. Jesus is the one who works through priests to manifest His power, His love, His mercy, His graces to world hungering for these things.

When I was young, I wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to be an athlete, or be able to sing or to play a musical instrument and later become a business manger and grocery store owner. But later I discovered God’s ways are much better than mine and if we do His will, we will be happy because the almighty can do great things for us and through us to others. A priest makes a difference in the world by helping people to get to heaven. The priesthood...what a beautiful and grace filled life of giving oneself in the service of God and His people. God continues to call young men to the priesthood. Jesus is saying to young boys, “Don’t be afraid! Come follow me and I will make you a fisher of men.” We have very outstanding and fine boys in our parish. Very virtuous. There are two boys from our parish who have told me they thought about becoming a priest. Pray for them, that they may discover God’s will for them.

Today, let us pray for vocations to the priesthood and to religious life, especially from our parish. Jesus is calling some young men and boys to be become fisher’s of men. Let us ask the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the eternal high priest and mother of priests, to open the hearts and minds of boys and young men to follow Jesus as one of His disciples.