FISHERS OF MEN
Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
My dear encountered couples:
Jesus sometimes asks people to leave their homes, their families, everything, in order to do his work. That is what we find him doing in regard to Peter, James, and John. They had been fishermen. When he called them to become “fishers of men,” we are told they “left everything and became his followers.”
For the majority of people, though, to become fishers of men and women such a sacrifice is not necessary. Most people are not asked by Christ to leave their homes and towns in order to do his work. In fact, it is in their very homes and towns where God wants them to stay. It is there they are needed most. It is there that without them, others might miss out on some very important actions of God.
All Christians are meant to be signs of God’s love in the world. Those signs are just as necessary at home as they are abroad. Where Christians find themselves is most often where Christ wants them to stay. It is there that through them and in them he wants to bring his love and forgiveness to others in their lives.
Whether you are one who has left all to do God’s work, whether you have never left town, home, family, or job, you are a person through whom Christ wishes to reach others. You have been called by Christ to do some fishing for him. But most likely, we will not be fishing today (at least for fish). Maybe the lake with all those fish is right in your own back yard. However, if we keep our eyes and hearts open, we may recognize the abundance of Jesus’ gift to us. It may be the love and care we experience from others. Or it may be that your day goes well and you experience satisfaction at all you were able to accomplish.
For many human beings, it almost is a natural tendency to focus on what goes wrong in our day rather than what our blessings have been. True, something may go wrong but there may be many more instances of what has gone well. Be alert and be thankful!
