BECOME A FOOL…

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
18 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.
19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
21 So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours;23 and you are Christs; and Christ is Gods.

Luke 5:1-11 

1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.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 Simons, 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 Zebedee, 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.

MEDITATION

St PAUL Caution the mister and misses know-it-all in the congregation of Corinth, to stop being thick-headed, because they cannot outmaneuver God who knows their thoughts. Paul makes the point that the people must stop their name-dropping snobbery to impress others, so as to sow division between the apostolic leaders of the Church. 

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord tactically get into Simons empty boat—a sign that he failed to catch any fish— and had him push the boat out from the land so that when He teach, His voice could bounce off the water and reach the ears of the multitude who sat on the shore. Upon completing His disquisition, our Lord encouraged Simon to make another attempt to catch fish; an instruction that contradicted the prevailing fishermens norm that fish are most active at night, which is the best time to fish.

The readings of today should move us to be a humble people who submit to the authority of the Church that our Lord established upon Simon Peter. We are called to be fisherman par excellence, be submitive to the will of Christ Jesus who motivate us to not throw in the towel. To be a fool in front of a multitude, is humbling and instructive, provided that we bend the knee before Christ and be open to listen to His instruction that we take another route, to try again and again, because success is surely in the offing! 

LET US PRAY: Psalms 24:1-6 

The earth is the LORD’s and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah]

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.