Homily
for September 7, 2017
Jesus gave Peter a very simple instruction: “Put out into the deep and
let down your nets for a catch.” But instead of Peter to simply obey, he
started doing that which we are often accustomed to; complaining. Peter started
giving reasons why the instruction should be disobeyed. “Master, we toiled all
night and took nothing! But at your word, I will let down the nets.”
Honestly, there are moments that the keeping of God’s commandments may
not even make sense at all. But then, it is precisely at those moments when God’s
commandments do not make any sense that we get to see great miracles.
Think about all the excuses you often give to God for not obeying his
words, place yourself in the shoes of Peter and imagine what would happen if
you had actually gone ahead to obey God despite all the odds.
When Peter saw the great catch, he experienced what I would call a brain
reset, everything he knew before about fishing was wiped out, and it became a
moment of conversion for him as well. Hence, he said to Jesus: “Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
An encounter with God helps us to come to terms with our nothingness. When
you see a really proud person who believes he or she is perfect and/or knows
everything, then you have met a person who does not know God.
In a similar way, each time, we disobey God’s commandments or give him
excuses why we shouldn’t obey his words, we are trying to tell God that we know
better than him. Disobedience is a function of our self-pride and not only does
it bring about our destruction, it also prevents us from experiencing life as God
intends for us.
Dear friends, let us repent today. Stop complaining. Stop giving excuses
to God. Just trust God; obey his commands even when they don’t make sense; be
humble enough to believe that your personal opinions about life are not better
than that of God who created the whole universe.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, deepen my trust in you. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of
the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Colossians 1:9-14 and Luke
5:1-11).
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