Memorial of Moses. Called by the Lord, he freed the people of Israel from the slavery of Egypt and led them to the “promised land”

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Luke 5, 1-11

Now it happened that he was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God,

when he caught sight of two boats at the water's edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boats -- it was Simon's -- and asked him to put out a little 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 deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.'

Simon replied, 'Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.'

And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear,

so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point.

When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, 'Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.'

For he and all his companions were completely awestruck at the catch they had made;

so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. But Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on it is people you will be catching.'

Then, bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Jesus came back from the place where he had retired to pray and now finds himself on the shores of the lake of Gennesaret surrounded by a crowd that pressed in on him from every side, eager to listen to his teachings and to hope for a better future. Jesus no longer speaks only in the synagogue. He considers it opportune—and not just for reasons of space—to communicate his Gospel outdoors, in the streets, in the squares and on the shores of the lake. This is the image of the Good Shepherd who loves to be in the midst of his flock. Pope Francis would say that Jesus really knows the smell of his flock. And it is in the heart of this ministry among the crowds that Jesus also called his first disciples, as if to emphasize the where and how of the apostles’ mission, both then and now. The crowd is so great and Jesus, to avoid being crushed, asks Simon to get into his boat and move a little from the shore. From there Jesus teaches the crowd. Jesus’ choice is obviously not random. The evangelist wants to emphasize the task of the Church and of every Christian community over the course of the centuries: to recreate, in communion with Peter, Jesus’ teaching to every generation so that they may hear it and repent. Jesus finished speaking to the crowds and asked Simon to take the boat to the deep water and let down the nets. Simon and the others who are with him were perplexed. Simon points out: “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” And, truly he was tired. But, it was inevitable that fishing without the presence of the Lord would have been fruitless. At the last supper, Jesus will say so more clearly: “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Simon, however, who had begun to trust Jesus immediately adds: “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” He was tired, he did not understand everything, but he certainly was impressed by the teaching of Jesus and obeyed. Obedience does not always require that we understand everything, but it requires trust, abandonment. And then the miraculous catch happened. The evangelist notes: “when they had done this,” that is, having obeyed they caught a lot of fish. And they caught so many fish that they had to call others to help drag in the nets. After experiencing this miracle, Simon Peter—here the evangelist adds the new name, Peter—kneels before Jesus. His gesture gushes from his amazement and most of all by complete trust in Jesus. Also the three other fishermen, Peter’s associates, are taken by what happened. Jesus, speaking to Simon, tells him that he will become a fisher of people. All four of those fishermen abandon their nets and begin to follow him. On that day began the story of this unique fraternity that is the Church. That boat is now in the deep sea of history ploughing the waters of the planet. And Jesus continues to call new disciples so that the nets of mercy may extend to all, leaving no one out.