Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. Mtt. 4:18
Jesus used a boat as his pulpit, teaching the people from a boat at the sea shore. He taught Peter the power of real faith as he rescued him from sinking into the sea. He demonstrated his authority over creation as he calmed the raging sea. A beautiful and rich symbolism emerges from these first encounters with Jesus. The sea is wounded humanity, bountiful fishing is evangelization, the unsinkable ship is the Church, salvation is Jesus rescuing us from the sea, and our destiny is to cling to Jesus, sailing with him through the storms until we reach the safe harbor of his kingdom.
During these days of Lent, we will employ this symbolism as an instrument of discernment - carefully accessing the state of our spiritual life; am I securely aboard the Ship with Jesus or floundering in a stormy sea of confusion and unbelief? As I troll the seas of this world, have I cast my nets on the wrong side of the boat, gaining an empty net of frustration, or with Jesus guidance, on the starboard side, filling them with grace and truth?
This Ship which is the Church
is about to launch into the sea
which is the days of Lent,
into the turbulent waters of ours hearts,
that Jesus may calm our storms
by his word of authority,
and with his arm of mercy,
draw us up from beneath the waves
of our guilt into his Ship called Mercy,
to sail at his side into the harbor of Salvation.
Leave your tattered and empty nets behind
and aboard with Jesus,
sail with him into waters teeming with graces
waiting to be caught.
During these days of Lent, we will employ this symbolism as an instrument of discernment - carefully accessing the state of our spiritual life; am I securely aboard the Ship with Jesus or floundering in a stormy sea of confusion and unbelief? As I troll the seas of this world, have I cast my nets on the wrong side of the boat, gaining an empty net of frustration, or with Jesus guidance, on the starboard side, filling them with grace and truth?
This Ship which is the Church is about to launch into the sea
which is the days of Lent,
into the turbulent waters of ours hearts,
that Jesus may calm our storms
by his word of authority,
and with his arm of mercy,
draw us up from beneath the waves
of our guilt into his Ship called Mercy,
to sail at his side into the harbor of Salvation.
Leave your tattered and empty nets behind
and aboard with Jesus,
sail with him into waters teeming with graces
waiting to be caught.
No comments:
Post a Comment