FISHERS OF MEN

Homily to the Catholic Community at the US Navy Base, NSA Naples
On the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
By: Rev. Deacon Ronnie P. Floyd

On Friday the Church Celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. St. Paul, a man who persecuted the Church Who participated in the murder of St. Steven, and who was on his way to Damasacus to have Christians thrown in jail. On the very day that he meets Jesus on the way… and that moment encounter changes his life.

As we read in Friday’s Gospel, the mission of the Apostles: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature,” becomes Paul’s vocation, despite who he was, just days earlier.

Today, we hear a similar message in the Gospel, this time to Peter and Andrew. Jesus says to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” As Christians we are all called to go out and fish To be a fisher of men,

The Apostles knew a little bit about fishing, as did Jesus,

So this image that Jesus suggests—is not simply a metaphor but a profound analogy of the reality of the Christian life and witness.

Think about where fish live, deep below the surface of the water, far from the light and warmth of the sun. Fish live deep below the water: because they feel secure in the dark, because they are afraid of what exists above the water, because they think they need the water to survive. And the fish are right, they may take a peak above water but if they leave the water they will die. Without Christ, we are the same way. We might occasionally glance at the light, like a fish jumping momentarily above the water but we quickly retreat into the darkness of the world, afraid to enter this new world fully Afraid to die…

I am the Light of the World, says the Lord. The Light and the sun, are of course symbols of warmth, life, goodness ultimately they are symbols of God, and of Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we have been pulled from the waters. If you remember my homily from a few weeks ago: at our baptism we went down into the waters and died with Christ, so that we could be pulled from the waters, a new creation, born to new life—children of the Light

Our response therefore must be to try to save as many:
who remain in the darkness of the world.
Who remain in the land of death and destruction.

We who have receive the gift of God’s Light and allowed it to enlighten our minds and hearts are asked by our God to share that light and joy with those around us.

This doesn’t mean going door to door, bible in hand. No—the early Christians didn’t knock on doors or pound people over the head with the Gospel rather, they made a point of living it. By doing this they made the example of their very life. The bait that others would cautiously approach. And be so attracted too, that they would sample it and once they had nibbled on the bait, they would swallow it whole, hook, line, and sinker

Just as a fish can’t imaging life above water, in the Light, so people, in the darkness of this world, can’t imagine the joy of the Christian life. They can’t stomach the whole thing yet and so we offer them what they can understand: the sweetness of our happiness, peace, and contentment as bait, to catch them, and to draw them, through the painful process of death to self, into the new life—offered by Christ, at his death!

Jesus tells us: He who would save his life, must loose it. Fish pulled from the water, die! BUT SO DID CHRIST! He died in order that he might rise to new life. As Christians we are all called to be fishers of men, but we can’t do this until we embrace the death to self, which we began when we were pulled from the waters of baptism, until our lives become sweet bait for those around us.

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Though we all are called to be fishers of men, today, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew, Paul, and the other Apostles, in a special way.

The vocation to be an Apostle—to be a priest is not a rank, that allows you to wear vestments sit in the place of honor, and preside at the liturgy. It is a vocation that gives you a new identity. An identity that is intimately tied to the identity of Jesus. The priest is called to be the Fisherman par excellence. Like the crusty captain of a charter fishing boat, he is called to steer the ship of the church to good waters, where the fish are plentiful, and to teach and help the other fisherman: to bait their rods with the best bait available; to be disciplined and attentive to the lines; to be aware of and to help each other —to fish well—and so bring in a big catch.

The priest is called to be a Minister of Joy, in the words of Pope Benedict.

Joy, that’s our bait! and that is the Priestly vocation.

And it’s the best bait we could ask for: because everybody wants it!

It doesn’t matter who we were yesterday, if you yourself were a fish, living in darkness: a murder like St. Paul or a coward and liar like St. Peter in the water and blood that flows from Jesus on the Cross

TODAY… Jesus wants to fill our hearts with Joy and Peace and to make us fishermen, after his own heart.

Let’s recommit ourselves today to becoming good fishermen and to praying for and supporting young men, as they consider how God is calling them to fish. Because the world needs more fishermen, more joyful Catholics and more joyful priests

If we had them, can you imagine how many fish we would have in our boat, the Church? The nets would be bursting!

GO OUT AND FISH…