A call to mission - Be the fishers of men.

Today's Gospel Reading (Luke 5,1-11)

1 Now it happened that he was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God,

2 when he caught sight of two boats at the water's edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets.

3 He got into one of the boats -- it was Simon's -- and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.'

5 Simon replied, 'Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.'

6 And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear,

7 so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point.

8 When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, 'Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.'

9 For he and all his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made;

10 so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. But Jesussaid to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on it is people you will be catching.'

11 Then, bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him.

The Church as “Missionary” 

Today, we discover the "missionary imprint" which is present in the Church 

since its early foundation: the very Roman Pontiff is a "Fisher of men". 

Simon was called one day, just like any other, while he was washing his nets. 

The Master saw at the water’s edge two boats and boarded one of the boats,

 the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. 

Then, He sat down and taught the people from the boat: 

thus, Peter’s boat became the chair of Jesus Christ.

When He was over, 

He asked Simon to put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. 

Jesus was a carpenter, not a fisherman. 
However, "Simon, the fisherman" trusted him. 

His response to the miraculous catch was shuddering. 

Jesus reacted by encouraging him to have confidence and open himself to a project 

that exceeded all expectations: "To fish for people”. 

Peter could not imagine that one day he would arrive in Rome to become there 

a true "Fisher of men" for God.

—O Lord, with Peter, we feel we are "sent" by God to carry your Gospel to all souls.