Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11In today’s Gospel, Peter is washing his nets after a long and unsuccessful night of work. Humanly speaking, the fishing is over; he is tired, disappointed, and ready to stop. Yet when Jesus tells him, “Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch,” Peter is willing to begin again simply because the Lord has spoken: “If you say so, I will pay out the nets.” His obedience produces an extraordinary catch, showing what becomes possible when our efforts are placed at the service of Christ’s word. But the most beautiful moment comes afterwards. Peter has just received what every fisherman dreams of, an overwhelming abundance of fish, yet when Jesus calls him to become a fisher of men, “they left everything and followed him.” Peter is free enough both to begin again when Jesus asks and to leave behind even his greatest success when Jesus calls him further. This is the freedom of discipleship: not being imprisoned by failure, but neither being possessed by success. Pope Gregory lived this same availability, leaving the quiet monastic life he loved when God called him to serve the Church as Pope. The Gospel invites us to remain ready for whatever Christ asks, to cast the nets again after disappointment, to receive abundance with gratitude, and, if He calls, to leave even that abundance behind in order to follow Him more closely. Let’s reflect: Am I free enough to begin again after failure when Jesus asks me, and equally free to leave even my successes behind when He calls me to follow Him further? Do I have this freedom of discipleship?
Don Giorgio