Gospel of the Day (Luke 5:1-11)

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.

Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."

Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "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 him.

***

Reflections:

"From now on you will be catching men."

«Look! I will send many fishermen, says the Lord, to catch them» (Jer 16,16). Thus he makes clear our great mission: fishing. It is said or written sometimes that the world is like the sea. There is a certain truth in the comparison. In human lives, as in the sea, there are periods of calm and periods of storm, of peace and of raging winds. Very often men find themselves in salt waters among great waves; they make headway through great storms, sorry seafarers even when they seem joyful and even enthusiastic: their laughter seeks to disguise their discouragement, disappointment, their lives without either charity or understanding. They devour each other like fish.

Act in such a way that all men will enter the divine net of their own free will and will love one another. This is the task of God's children. As Christians we should turn ourselves into those fishermen described by the prophet Jeremiah with the help of a metaphor that Jesus Christ also often used: «Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,» he said to Peter and Andrew.

We are going to join Christ in that divine fishing. «While the crowd was pressing in and listening to the word of God,» Jesus «was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret» (Lk 5,1). Just as he does today! Can't you see?

Gospel of the Day (Luke 4:38-44)

After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her.

He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.

And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them.

But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent."

And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

***

Reflections:

"Jesus left and went to a deserted place"

How could we forget the Master who taught us this prayer, and with so much love and desire that it benefit us?... You already know that His Majesty teaches that it be recited in solitude. This is what He always did when He prayed, and not out of any need of His own but for our instruction. It has already been mentioned that one cannot speak simultaneously to God and to the world; this would amount to nothing more than reciting the prayer while listening to what is being said elsewhere or to letting the mind wander and making no effort to control it.

There can be exceptions at times, either because of bad humors - especially if the person is melancholic - or because of faint feelings in the head so that all efforts become useless. Or it can happen that God will permit days of severe temptation in his servants for their greater good. And though in their affliction they are striving to be quiet, they cannot even be attentive to what they are saying, no matter how hard they try; nor will the intellect settle down in anything, but by the disordered way it goes about, it will seem to be in a frenzy. Whoever experiences the affliction these distractions cause will see that they are not his fault... Like a sick person he should strive to bring some relief to his soul; let him occupy himself in other works of virtue. This advice now is for persons who are careful and who have understood that they must not speak simultaneously to both God and the world.

What we ourselves can do is to strive to be alone; and please God it will suffice, as I say, that we understand to whom we are speaking and the answer the Lord makes to our petitions. Do you think He is silent? Even though we do not hear Him, He speaks well to the heart when we beseech Him from the heart.