Word to the Wise
Thursday, September 7, 2006 - 22nd Thursday in Ordinary Time
[1 Corinthians 3:18-23 and Luke 5:1-11]"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him."
It may seem a silly question from one angle, but Peter really is asking a question that we all ask at one time or another: Can I trust God? Mind you, this isn't a question about whether or not God exists. This is a question about whether or not I can trust the God I believe in! I have all my experiences, good and bad, and sometimes God asks me to ignore all that and do something that just seems "crazy" or "pointless" or "different." The command, "Put out into the deep water!" brings a skeptical or fearful response. However, Peter shrugs with a "What have I got to lose - I haven't caught anything yet" and the rest is history! I find the saying of St. Thomas Aquinas helpful here: "Grace builds on nature and perfects it." Jesus takes Peter as he finds him. Peter will discover that time and time again, Jesus simply takes him as he is and big things happen. Peter has all the trust problems that any of us do. "Lord, if it is really you. Command me to walk on the water to you!" Remember that one? Lord if it is REALLY you? Oh my! Well, the reply is the one that God so often makes in the scriptures: "Do not be afraid!" God knows that conquering those fears is a life-time process. But if we can do that even a little bit, a lot of good things will happen in cooperation with God! AMEN