Call to Simon The Fisherman

BEADS OF JOY 09-01-16

“Call to Simon The Fisherman”

©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 (Call to Simon The Fisherman)

“While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

Reflection:
Are you a witness to God’s Truth to those around you? Isn’t it simply amazing how Jesus always seems to pick the simplest, most ordinary people? He doesn’t look for the affluent, well off individuals in mansions; rather he looks for the ordinary working folks or the poor wretched souls on the street. That’s extremely encouraging, of cause our Lord wants everyone - old, young and rich and poor; but by choosing the poor to me, it makes His message more real and more welcoming. There are no worldly requirements in Jesus’ eye, except that you Love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and you love your neighbor as yourself. Once you begin with that everything else falls into place.

Let us continue these thoughts. When you are met with disappointment and negative results as Simon Peter did in today’s Gospel; do you turn to the Lord for answers and solutions? Even though his response to Jesus initially was a bit negative, he did say, “But at your word I will let down the nets." He knew by listening to Jesus’ counsel he would have the solution he was seeking. And by golly he did! He had an overabundance of success by simply having trust in the Lord. It really is that simply. I can bare testimony to that in my own life and in my family’s life. It is our Trust in Jesus that has pulled us through some of the most difficult of situations.

Sometimes life gets to be very difficult and we don’t know why and sometimes during these most difficult times the people you “think” who will stand by your side don’t! Instead those people scatter and run away and desert you and they don’t even treat you like you are alive. And what happens is other people, more Godly people become your greatest most encouraging allies and you build an alliance that helps build your faith. I know some of you out there that like me, who have also dealt with this in their lives. You understand this, you can relate to this. God knows our needs, He will not see us left alone, He will fill our nets if they are empty, if our own families are the ones who make them empty -God will make sure they are full and overflowing. Keep the faith my sisters and brothers. Till tomorrow, keep praying, keep trusting.

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

Your brother in Christ Jesus 
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

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Today is Thursday: We pray the Luminous Mysteries..

http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-luminous-mysteries.html