"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
As we embark on the Sea of Saint Luke's Gospel, we hear the Lord's command. We should expect deep water; we will not be able to wade through it, nor should we expect to survive in it without the boat in which we sail, and the Lord's authority over wind and seas.
Pope Saint John Paul II reminded us that this third millennium since the birth of Christ is also a deep and troubled sea. I don't know that he was thinking of Artificial Intelligence at the time, or Social Media; but he was acutely aware of the impending collapse of communism (and all ideologies), the ever widening wealth gap, increasingly dangerous weapons, the instability of democratic governments, and the environmental crisis that threatens every human being. To name a few.
Nor have any of those issues been resolved since the year 2000. Anyone who sails into this century without the Word of God will certainly perish.
Today's gospel recalls Saint Peter's astonishment, which was immediately followed by the command, "Do not be afraid..." and the assurance, "from now on you will be catching men." His call to discipleship has already been confirmed by his obedience to the Lord's command. Peter and his company -- which is comprised of his former employees -- are under new management, and taking orders from a higher authority.
Their astonishment leads directly into the reverent, unquestioning obedience of every disciple. We might not know precisely what the Lord demands of us, but we know we must do it. Our discernment of His will may be faulty, but our loyalty must be absolute. Our practice of faith is also inadequate, but the same faith assures us that He has atoned for our sins and filled up what is lacking in our performance.
The "deep" of which Jesus speaks is not only a challenging future in a complex, mercurial world. It is also the bottomless depth of our souls which reflect God's infinity. Even our guilt is boundless, for it began with the original sin of Adam and Eve, and is woven into our thought patterns, language, social organization, and infrastructure. It cannot be eradicated by anything less than the Lord's sacrifice on the altar of the cross.
And that too silences the Lord's disciples, "For astonishment ...seized him and all those with him," No one can suppose they are prepared to live in this Brave New World who does not stand in awe before the mysteries of human life and God's Word. We do so with the practice of reverence: bowing and genuflecting, the sign of the cross, daily prayer, attendance at Mass, devout reception of the sacraments, and respect for the dignity of every human being.
If every human religion practices some form of reverence -- as I have been told by secular authorities -- only Jesus and his Church can assure me that, "This is the way. Follow it!"
When they brought their boats to the shore,they left everything and followed him.
