FIRST READING
“All are yours,’ and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. ”
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 3 :18-23)
Brethren: Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 24: 1 -2.3-4ab.5-6 (R. 1ab)
R/. The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world, and all who dwell in it.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the rivers he made it firm. R.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The clean of hands and pure of heart,
whose soul is not set on vain things. R.
R/. The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness.
Blessings from the Lord shall he receive,
and right reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the people who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. R.
ALLELUIA Matthew 4:19
Alleluia. Follow me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
”They left everything and followed him. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 5 : 1-11)
At that time: While the people pressed upon Jesus 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Peter was a skilled fisherman. He had scouted the waters all day and caught nothing. Imagine him already weary, exhausted…. Imagine him grumbling at this carpenter (although to himself!) who is telling him how to fish! Imagine his reluctance and objections – and all of a sudden, a huge catch is made! When we are drawn to Jesus, we must obey our hearts, not our minds that may be full of doubt, not our experience that may push us to think we have it all and, not our body that may be wearied and slothful. The Lord still calls us to cast into the deep, to win souls for him. We must obey with all our hearts and follow.