Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 3, 2020
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
To go fishing is to accept both mystery and uncertainty. As we peer into the water, there is usually a limit to how far we can see, and our minds are left to imagine what swims beyond our vision. Also, though we arm ourselves with bait, equipment, and strategy, catching fish is not a forgone conclusion. Sometimes the fish are biting, but other days leave us hoping for our luck to change. I chuckle remembering my own childhood and watching my children now during those second kinds of outings. “Just one more cast!” is the rallying cry of a skunked angler.
Today’s gospel finds Simon and his companions in a similar situation, except the seriousness of their predicament is heightened given that fishing is their livelihood. We can imagine Jesus calling to the exhausted group, imploring them to lower their nets once more. Despite an initial protest, their obedience is soon rewarded in an unbelievable way, and this miracle, in turn, leads to an even greater call from the Lord.
How can we, as followers of Christ, replicate such a radical trust in God? Our minds often churn with doubt, but it is scenes like the one along the lakeshore that remind us that our efforts are not made in isolation, that God is always participating in the story.
Recently, I was inspired by someone who has displayed such trust and answered a bold call to serve others in need. Upon her retirement as the Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Muffet McGraw likely had many plans, but having to isolate during a global pandemic would not have been one of them! Nevertheless, instead of bemoaning the challenges of the situation, Coach McGraw got to work, and over the course of the past several months, she has collected an astonishing 20,000 pounds of food to help those in need locally.
Motivated by this example, the Notre Dame Alumni Association recently announced a new program called Meals with Muffet. During the month of September, which is National Hunger Awareness Month, we are asking individuals, families, classes, and groups to “put out into the deep water” and collect food and donations for organizations that help those with food insecurity. Like those that followed Jesus, we are hoping for a catch beyond what anyone could imagine.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have given us all that is good. You constantly call us to put out into the deep in service to you and to one another. Give us the courage to listen to your commands, and to be fearless in our baptismal call to holiness. Help us to find ways to serve rather than to be served, even if those ways may be small or unseen by others. May we be faithful in our vocations to do your will rather than our own, and make you known, loved, and served. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Gregory the Great was a civilian official before becoming a monk, a cardinal, and finally, one of the most influential popes the Church has ever known.
He was born in 540, the son of a wealthy Roman senator. He was educated by the best teachers in Rome, and when he was still a young man, the emperor named him chief magistrate of Rome.
He filled this role for five years but clearly had other desires on his heart than his political career. When his father died, Gregory turned his home into a monastery and became a monk. He used his inheritance to build six other monasteries in the region.
When it came time to select a new pope, the faithful unanimously selected him by popular acclaim. As pope, Gregory was filled with zeal—he worked tirelessly and his contributions profoundly shaped the life of the Church.
As leader of the Church, he kept a close watch over the clergy and encouraged them towards holiness. He used papal money to ransom prisoners and to care for persecuted Jews and victims of famine and sickness. People of his day called him the father of the city of Rome, and the joy of the world.
He once observed English children being sold in the Roman Forum as slaves, and the sight made him decide to send missionaries to Canterbury—this was the beginning of Christianity among the Anglo-Saxons. He also sent missionaries to France, Spain, and parts of Africa during a time when Europe was being overturned by Lombards, barbarian forces from the north. These efforts helped Christianize these forces—Gregory himself went to visit the king of the Lombards.
Gregory is known best for his contributions to the liturgy. He reformed the Mass and the daily prayer of the Church and wrote prayers we still use today as well as commentaries on Scripture that shaped theology through the Middle Ages. He also collected melodies of plain chant used in the liturgy—today that style is known as Gregorian chant, after him.
Gregory is one of the four great doctors of the Church, along with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome. These four and 33 other doctors have been singled out for their ability to articulate and teach the faith.
Gregory died in 604, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is patron of teachers and students, musicians and masons. He is depicted in several places on campus, here in stained glass from the Basilica and the second window from the chapel in Lyons Hall. He is often shown with a bird nearby—it is said that the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove spoke into his ear when he preached.
“The proof of love is in the works,” St. Gregory said. “Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”
Pope St. Gregory the Great, you were the monk who became one of the greatest popes ever—pray for us!