While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He 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 had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"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."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
REFLECTION
"Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore."
In the past, I thought that I could get to God on my own accord. That I can set my own path of salvation. I would think people were silly when they needed to make a decision and would say: "I need to pray about it."
Many of us came to PAPA a little bit broken, a little sad, or a little curious. Yet, we were all earnestly and sincerely looking for God. We might of had, and possibly still do, an incorrect idea of who Jesus truly is.
In this search, we try to learn who He really is, we also begin to see what is what God wants us to be. This hasn't happened by chance. This is all because Jesus is the one looking for us, not only extending His hand towards us, He is even "getting in our boats", so we can learn to follow Him. There have also been good and saintly priests in many of our parishes, the comradery and consolation with our other PAPA members who are also in the same search and the counsel of our spiritual director, Father Michael, and many of his teachings.
Many of these teachings are found in our YouTube Channel called Face ZBS. Or Face Zoom Bible Study. In here we have studied for several years Sunday's homilies and readings, and understanding Jesus from the point of view of the author (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). To know Jesus as He really is, not as He is pictured in Hollywood, or by biased media.
Today a group of our PAPA members, along with Father Michael are heading towards Israel, to review the Fifth Gospel: The Holy Land.
Please keep our pilgrims in your prayers as they go and follow the steps of Jesus for the next few days. So that they can come back and teach many of us what they heard and saw in the Holy Land.
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