The Catch
1Once
while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was
pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the
shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their
nets. 3He 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. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out
into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but
have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their
nets were beginning to break. 7So 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. 8But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man!" 9For he and all who were with
him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and 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." 11When they had brought their boats
to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
Valencian Fisherwomen
SOROLLA,
Joaquin
1915
Sorolla
Museum
Madrid
Spain
During the years when Sorolla was working
on the commission for the Hispanic Society, his summer holidays let him go back
to his real love : painting in his own home territory, in the open air, from
real life. Back in Valencia, he took up his favourite themes again, scenes of
the beach and fisherfolk, but by now the almost epic dimensions of the work he
was engaged in for the huge commission had altered his style.
Firmly
anchored in the sand, with their clothes blowing in the wind, three women wait
at the water’s edge for the boats to arrive
laden with the day’s catch, to fill their baskets and take the fish for sale to
the market stalls. The monumental figures seem to be inspired by the large
format works the artist was busy with for the American commission, but also
perhaps he wanted to dignify them, as a tribute and a testimony of his
admiration for these hard-working women, shown here dressed here in spotless
white with their children in their arms, waiting to collect the fish.
The Calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew
WET,
Jacob Willemszoom de, the Elder
First
half of 17th century
Private
collection
Web
Gallery of Art
https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/w/wet_j/index.html
Our chief want is someone who will inspire us
to be what we know we could be.
~
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The goal of many
leaders is to get people
to think more highly of
the leader.
The goal of a great
leader is to help people
to think more highly of
themselves.
~ J. Carla Nortcutt
Coffee
and delicious blueberry muffins with Laurie Romberg
on
our big snowy day. Luckily, Laurie lives less than a block away.
Our
small Bible Study group was even smaller last Wednesday on Zoom.
Our
speakers at Rotary on Friday were eight members of Evergreen High School’s
Young
Rotarians (Interact).
Whether you think you can or
whether you think you can’t, you’re right.
~
Henry Ford
February 06, 2022 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - Year C
Previous OPQs may be found at:
Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus Day
appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Isaiah 6:1–8 (9–13)
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1–11
Luke 5:1–11
Commercial fishing has always been a hard way to make a living. It is hard work, sometimes with little or no reward; it requires a substantial investment of time and money for boat and gear and their maintenance; it entails considerable risk in leaving the safety of homeport for the open sea; it compels crews to work together to bring in the catch. The work of the prophet/disciple demands that same kind of hard work, risk, personal investment, patience, and sense of community.
The best fishing, Peter and his brothers knew, was done at night; little is caught during the heat of the day. So Peter’s agreeing to lower his nets at Jesus’ urging was, for a fisherman of Peter’s experience, an act of considerable faith. And as today's Gospel recounts, Peter’s faith is rewarded abundantly. If the first disciples of Jesus had any special grace at all, it was an openness to Jesus' call and teaching.
In Luke’s account, Peter’s reaction is somewhat surprising. Upon realizing who Jesus is, he cowers away. In the light of Christ's revelation, Peter recognizes his own unworthiness and humbleness in the sight of God. But Jesus assures him he has not come to drive sinners from his presence but to bring them back to God – to catch them in “net” of God’s love.
First Reading Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a
throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above
him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they
covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one
called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the
whole earth is full of his glory." 4The pivots
on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled
with smoke. 5And I said:
"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a
people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of
hosts!"
6Then one of
the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar
with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph
touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips,
your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord
saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here
am I; send me!" 9And he said,
"Go and say to this people:
'Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.'
10Make the
mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed."
11Then I said,
"How long, O Lord?" And he said:
"Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
12until the
LORD sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the
land.
13Even if a
tenth part remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled."
The holy seed is its stump.
1I give you thanks, O LORD,
with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your
faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
3On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
4All the kings of the earth
shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
6For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7Though I walk in the midst of
trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
8The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news
that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to
the message that I proclaimed to you-unless you have come to believe in vain.
3For I handed on to you as of
first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters
at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am
what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I
worked harder than any of them-though it was not I, but the grace of God that
is with me. 11Whether then it was I or
they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
1Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and
the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore
of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He 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. 4When he had finished speaking, he
said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a
catch." 5Simon
answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they
had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to
break. 7So 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. 8But when
Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from
me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9For he and
all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and 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." 11When they had brought their boats to
shore, they left everything and followed him.