Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Lk. 5:8

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Fifth Sunday of the Year

Note.

After Mass; a comment: "the Homily was like telepathy of the Retreat Director’s lecture."

Aelred  said, ‘It was only yesterday that I wrote the Homily.’

A case of almost singing from the same Hymn book.

Readings:

Isaiah 6:1-2,3-8

1Corinthians 15:1-11

Luke 5:1-11
^v.8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Homily by Fr. Aelred

5^th Sunday (C)

The OT delights in evoking the initiative of God, who chooses and sends his prophets. Last Sunday it was the call of Jeremiah; today the call of Isaiah.

The calling of Isaiah is connected with a vision in the Temple. Isaiah ‘sees God, the Lord and King of the universe, although the divine presence is veiled by smoke to shield human eyes from his awesome glory. Isaiah’s first reaction was fear and trembling; out then, cleansed of his sins, he responded without hesitation of the divine call.

The Prophet’s mission was to turn the kings of Israel from trust in their  political shrewdness and foreign alliances in order to save Israel, and to learn to lean on God alone. In this he was largely unsuccessful, as was a prophet from Galilee, 700 years later, who warned that armed revolt against Rome would lead to the destruction of the nation. For the ‘holy one of Israel’ of Isaiah’s vision is a transcendent God who acts in history on behalf of his own people. It is the mystery of an all-holy God who yet stoops down to frail and sinful men and women.

In the second reading Paul reminds the Corinthians that in order to be saved they must guard the Gospel from all impurity or alteration and passes on what they have received. “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures... he was buried... he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures”; he appeared to the witnesses he had chosen. Paul is one of them. Although Paul is conscious that he is not worthy to be called an apostle because of his persecution of the Church, he realizes that his election is pure grace from God, , as is the zeal which he is to use to accomplish his mission. An unconditional gift, disposed of most freely. To the Lord, Isaiah simply responds: ‘Send me’. Saul is content to say to Jesus: ‘What shall I do?’

The coherence of the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Sundays Gospel Readings, is based on the fact that it is Luke from the beginning, placed as in the presence of the person of Jesus and his mystery that is unfolded today in the Church and in the world This Jesus is the Messiah, herald of the good news and the divine grace, whose revelation inaugurates the era of salvation; Jesus, the prophet, this sign of contradiction to whom no one can remain neutral; Jesus, Master and Lord at the origin of the mission, who calls his disciples to follow him while abandoning everything to become “fishers of men” in this world.

Today’s gospel passage is composite. The setting of a discourse of Jesus given on the lake with Jesus using a boat for his pulpit; a miraculous carch of fish; the call of Simon. Simon Peter  had failed. He was a fisherman, and after a whole night’s fishing, he hadn’t caught a fish. But at Jesus command he put out again into deep water and netted a miraculous catch. Peter’s reaction was to say; ‘Leave me Lord; I am a sinful man, because he knew he was in the presence of holiness. But Jesus speaks the reassuring words: ‘Do not be afraid.’ The mind and the message of Jesus is to reassure sinners that he is always there for them, something that the Church has not always put into practice.

Some people (like the apostles) are called to dedicate themselves totally and in a ‘professional’ way to the following of Christ. But not all Christians are called to follow Christ in this way. There is a greater call for a human being than to follow Jesus, to become a Christian. And of course most of these followers will belong to the laity.

Vocation is a word that applies to the laity as much as to the priest or religious. In a very real sense each one in this Church has been called and chosen. Christ addresses each one of us. You did not choose me; no I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will remain. I have called you by name. You are mine.