UNDER REPAIR AND CONSTRCUCTION BY THE HANDS OF GOD!

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Weekday

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Luke 5: 1 - 11
1	While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret.
2	And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3	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.
4	And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5	And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."
6	And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking,
7	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.
8	But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
9	For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10	and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."
11	And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED THURSDAY TO ALL!!!

We always, and almost by instinct, choose the BEST. We buy the new and the best style of clothing to be in line with the new trend of fashion. We spend too much time in the supermarket because we choose the best offer we can have on the items we want to buy. We don't just, however, choose the best. We also want to be the best. In many competitions we can be involved in, as in athletics or academics, we always aspire to be declared as the best. Being the best makes one feels superior over the other. We are proud about our countryman's feat, congressman Manny Pacquiao, heralded as the Best Pound for Pound boxer of the world. By his boxing skill and talent, he put the Philippines in the consciousness of the people of the world. Since our younger years, our parents have always been a remarkable mouthpiece in reminding us always to be the best. The way they scold us discreetly manifests their lack of satisfaction about their expectation of ourselves to become the best we can be. Is there anything more than being the best, or being best?

In the Gospel today we find Peter confessing how inadequate he is to be with Jesus and therefore feeling unworthy to be one with Jesus on the same boat. Peter must have recognized something in the bountiful catch of fish more than being an amazing and incomparable feat any fisherman, or anybody for that matter, can accomplish. Peter must have recognized the HAND of GOD in Jesus. And this must have made him feel so undeserving of Jesus’ company and presence because, with Jesus, he finds himself in front of a holy man. Seeing what Jesus had done, making them catch a bountiful and a boat-load of fish, he fell down at Jesus’ knees saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Instead of recognizing Peter’s sinfulness and therefore affirming his unworthiness, Jesus rather made Peter feel valued and accepted by saying “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.”

The Gospel today challenges us to realize our value and worth before God. Our inadequacies, limitations, and sinfulness are not impediments and hindrances in having COMMUNION with God and be CALLED by him to become ambassadors of his message of love and salvation for all. From being an ordinary and sinful fisherman, Jesus called Peter to become a fisher of men, catching men for God. The bountiful catch must be a foreshadowing of the catch Peter, and the other disciples, will gain in following the bidding of Jesus for them to catch men. Just as they caught nothing after a night’s toil, they follow Jesus’ instruction to lower down their nets and thereupon they have a great catch. Indeed, just like the lowering of their nets to catch fish bountifully, they have also left everything to follow Jesus. Indeed, when they brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Jesus does not choose and call the best of the best to become the ambassadors of his good news, just as God did not choose the best people, the Israelites, to become his instrument for people of all nations to know who the real and only God there is. There is something more than being the best, for being the best is concerned with what we can achieve by ourselves. We can be more than being best by being able to leave everything for Jesus and allow Jesus to work in us, transforming us to become a “new creation” that could bring about a bountiful harvest of men. Many of us are in awe with the talent and skill of Manny Pacquiao in the sport of boxing, but many are more amazed and inspired by how he glorify God in every victory he has achieved.

Do we also lead others to God by the little accomplishments that we have attained? Do we allow God to be seen by others in the ordinariness of our daily living? And do we glorify God accomplishing his work through us? Just as the fishermen put out their nets into the sea, let us also put out into the depths of God’s power and love our inadequacies, imperfections, our sinfulness and allow him to transform us into becoming the person he wants us to become. God does not force us to become the best of the best, but becoming someone under his constant repair and construction for his work of bringing men/women to Him. Let us be transformed by Jesus constantly.


For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com