Sunday, February 7, 2016

Jesus, Nets, Decisions, and the Holy Spirit

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016:

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 7, 2016

Every day we are faced with thousands of decisions. Many of which are of little importance. While others can impact the rest of our lives.

For us, as disciples of Christ, they are all a part of the central decision to follow Jesus above all else. At times, it can feel overwhelming, especially when those very consequential decisions have to be made and we don't know what's best, or where God is leading us. But, thanks be to God, we are not left to make these decisions completely on our own.

In fact, it's when we tried to make those decisions without turning to God and seeking his guidance that life becomes particularly difficult. On the other hand, when we take time for prayer and discernment, asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and trying to follow him, while making our decisions, our life could very will be filled with difficult decisions, but can still be very peaceful, because we know we aren't on our own.

For those first disciples whom Jesus called to follow him, a very concrete decision had to be made. Before the call even came, we hear the account of Jesus in Simon's boat. He gives a command, clear and simple yet challenging: "put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch." They have been working hard on night, and, after all, this is their profession, not Jesus' , so human reasoning could respond with skepticism at this man who thinks he knows better.

We could easily imagine Simon responding, "we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing ... I'm not going to do it again." But that's not what he says. Instead he replies, "at your command, I will lower the nets." And what happens? A miraculous catch of fish more abundant than the Nets could hold. Simon immediately recognizes the power of this man before him, and, in the astonishment at the miracle says, "depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." He recognizes his own unworthiness, and, perhaps, there was some doubt in his mind that he's now ashamed of. The decision to do something as mundane as lowering the nets once again gave this man the ability to make the crucial decision to leave everything and to follow Jesus.

So we might ask, "how do I do that?" We are here because we've already made the decision to follow Jesus, but that decision isn't a one time thing. It's something we've got to keep doing. Consider just one thing God gives us to help us make that decision. If something - or, more precisely, seven things - you probably had to memorize somewhere along the way. They're the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and they aren't just something we had to learn to pass a test. They're central to understanding how God continues to guide us through life. For those first disciples, it was the Holy Spirit to enable them to recognize Jesus and respond to his call, and today the Holy Spirit continues to inspire us if we are willing to receive them.

Consider again the decision Simon had to make. No human wisdom told him it was the right thing to do. Rather, the Holy Spirit, through his gifts of Wisdom and Understanding, moved Simon to respond the way he did, "Master ... at your command, I will lower the Nets." And his response upon catching the great number of fish wasn't only a natural surprise, it was the fear of the Lord that made him fall to his knees before the God-man, the same one before whom the seraphim cry out, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts!" And when the disciples made the decision to leave everything and follow Jesus, they were assured the gift of Counsel to see that it was the right decision, and the gift the Fortitude to follow through with it. They required Knowledge to receive the words, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men," and Piety to humbly submit themselves to God's will. In all of this, it was not human insight alone that guided them. It was the Holy Spirit alive within them.

We, too, have received a call from Jesus Christ to follow him, the decisions we make each day is either to keep following him, or to go our own way, but we don't even do that alone. He continues to give us the Holy Spirit to guide us each day. God gives us Wisdom to see the world as he sees it; Counsel to know right from wrong, and Understanding to know ourselves truly; Knowledge to understand the mysteries of God; and Fear of the Lord to adore in awe before him; Piety to place our trust in him; and Fortitude to strengthen us along the way. In all things he guides us, so that we, like those he first called, by the shore of Galilee, can continue to follow him.

So y'all be good, be Holy, preached the Gospel always using words and holy actions.

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

More reflections:
Related posts:

No comments:

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.