"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."

Jesus has been very busy, nearly overwhelmed with healing and driving out demons when he went away in the early morning hours to pray. Yet the crowds came looking for him. He then moved on to the neighboring villages to proclaim the good news elsewhere.

Today Jesus is hemmed in by so many people that the crowd is literally "pressing in on" him as the people are "listening to the word of God" while he stood by the Sea of Galilee.

This is when Jesus "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 taught, he then turned to Simon-Peter: "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."
One has to wonder if there was a pause after Simon explained that they had caught nothing. But yet Simon agrees to lower the nets.

How many times have we found ourselves exhausted, at wits end, and yet we sense the Lord calling us to go out again - despite the fact that we have exhausted our own resources - and trust in God's grace?

It is an act of faith, isn't it?

We are called to put out in the deep and lower our nets for a catch.

Where are we being called?

To what depths are we being called?

May we pray for the courage to lower our nets for a great catch.

Prepare for a miracle.

When the disciples did as Jesus commanded, they caught such a great number of fish that their nets began to tear.

(From Luke 5:1-11)

Even Jesus Hid

In today's gosepl from Luke, we read: "At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place" (Lk 4:42).


Mark's gospel is a bit more specific: "Rising very early before dawn, Jesus left and went off to an out of the way place to pray" (Mark 1: 35).


We need to find a hiding place to be with the Lord. Our world and culture is very noisy and chaotic. It is difficult to find a quiet place to be with God.  In fact, we have to make time and space for God.


When and where will we go to hide with God?

Pew Warmers We Cannot Be

Complacency is the last thing we need when we come to worship. And our worship is an utter failure if we fail to act on the Word and put it into practice through our deeds.

The Mass is beautiful, yes; but all of the people of God are to offer themselves as sacrificial offerings to the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

When the Word of God is proclaimed in the midst of the assembled church, the Body of Christ, we hear Christ, the very Word of God, and then in the great act of the Eucharist, Christ transforms us most fully into himself when we receive Him in the Eucharist.

The original Liturgy woudl have been celebrated in Aramaic, Hebrew, then later it was Greek. It was only later that Latin came into use. However, it is the same Mass.

In the final analysis, unless the celebration of the liturgy changes us and empowers us to go forth in Christ's Name and in the Holy Spirit to do the works of the Lord, then our worship is empty and can even be an act of selfish narcissism.

He Lost His Head

Today in the Chruch calendar we recall the Beheading of John the Baptizer. He ultimately died taking a stand for the dignity of marriage between one man and one woman for life.

If we are willing to redefine marriage, then why must it only be two people in a civil union?

But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

What are we willing to stick our neck out for?

May we have the courage of John the Baptizer.

Apocalyptic Meteorologists and Doomsday Economists

Is it just me, or did my cable provider just add the Apocalyptic package?

My favorite so far has been the Apocalyptic Meterologists.

Prayers go out to all those who live on the East Coast.