Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded yet again of our calling and mission entrusted to us by the Lord, Who has given us all these so that through us many more people may come to know Him and that more people may come closer to God and His salvation. Each and every one of us, all of us as Christians, share this same responsibility to be evangelising and missionary in our approach and way of life, and we should make good use of the time and opportunities provided to us so that we may be the shining examples for many others, especially for those who have not yet known how how to live their lives in accordance to the Lord, to His teachings and truth. That is why, all of us as Christians, we must do our best so that our lives may truly be exemplary and worthy of God, as the reflections and examples of our Christian virtues and faith.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, we heard of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God there to be ever faithful to Him and to do His will at all times. Each and every one of the faithful people of God in Corinth have been reminded to stay committed and true to their Christian mission and calling so that in everything that they say and do, they would always show the truth and the path of the Lord sincerely and courageously, in embodying what they have believed in so that everyone who witnessed their lives and actions, might also come to believe in God and learn to walk in His path. It is through their lives, way of life and action that many of the saints and martyrs in the past had inspired many to follow the Lord, even right up to this very day. All of us can do the same as well with our lives, and we truly should do our part as members of the Church.

In the Gospel passage today, we then heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus called His first disciples, the fishermen of the Lake of Galilee or Lake of Gennesaret, in which four of them would eventually become the members of the Twelve Apostles. Simon Peter, one of them, was mentioned, and together with the other fishermen there, they carried on their works while the Lord was teaching to the people who were assembled there by the shore of the lake. They had not been able to catch any fishes despite everything that they had done throughout the day. But when the Lord told them to do as He has instructed them, to put out into the deep waters and place their nets there, they immediately managed to catch so many fishes that their boats almost sank because of the combined weight of all the fishes that they managed to gather.

That was how Simon Peter and the others, his brother, St. Andrew the Apostle, and the brothers, sons of Zebedee, St. James the Greater and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, all of them decided to leave everything behind, putting away their nets and leaving behind their boats in order to follow the Lord wholeheartedly henceforth. God called them all to greater purpose, to be the fishers of men, and not just merely fishers of the lake of Gennesaret. The fishes that they all gathered represented symbolically of what they would be gathering for the sake of the Lord, in gathering together the people from all over the world, people from all races and background, from all various origins and places, called and chosen to be the holy people of God, all gathered together by the works of the Apostles and the servants of God, to be part of His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, through the Gospel passage today, we are all reminded that the Church of God, by the power and guidance of God has reached out to the whole world, through the ministry, works and efforts of its leaders, the servants of God, the Apostles and their successors, the bishops and the priests who helped them, in calling more and more of God’s faithful people from the darkness of this world, revealing the light and hope of God’s grace, His salvation and truth, so that they might no longer be lost in the void and the darkness of evil, but that they may once again enjoy the great favours of God’s great love and providence. Unless the Church goes forth and puts out into the ‘deep waters’ as the Lord had told the disciples to do, then the efforts and effects of the Church’s mission and ministry may not be far-reaching and many may have been unable to reach out to God’s salvation and love.

Then, the fact that the disciples had not been able to catch anything before the Lord told them what to do serves as a reminder for all of us that in all of our works and actions, in our every endeavours and efforts in part of our various Church ministries, institutions and organisations, all of us must always be centred and focused on God, and strive to do what He has commanded and called us to do, and not to serve our own selfish interests and desires. The Church and its members should always carry out its works and actions, being centred on God and on the desire to save more and more souls, our fellow brothers and sisters, many of whom have not yet seen the light of God’s grace and and have not yet heard His truth and Good News. It is through us and our efforts, in following God’s calling and doing His will that we can bring more and more of these to our fellow brethren who need them.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, are we all willing to do God’s will and to follow Him in what He has called us all to do? All of us have been entrusted with various responsibilities and missions, in our respective areas of life, and we all should embrace what God has given us, our talents and abilities, and all the opportunities and the various gifts that He has given to us. All of these should be put to good use, in how we ought to lead a worthy life truly committed to God in all things. We should not be ignorant of our calling and missions, and we should be more willing to walk ever more faithfully with God, in every possible moments and in all circumstances, remembering that it is because of Him that all of us have done great things, and through Him that the Church has managed to gather so many to be saved from destruction and damnation.

Let us all therefore do our very best so that we may no longer be idle in our lives, and that our every works and actions, our every words and interactions may truly be full of God’s grace, truth and love. Let us all ever be ready to go forth and ‘put into the deep waters’, in challenging ourselves that we may indeed reach out to our brethren in need of help, stepping out of our comfort zone if necessary. May God be with us always and may He empower us all, so that we may ever be faithful and committed to God in all things and at all times. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He guide us in our actions and works, in doing His will, now and always, forevermore. Amen.