Lower your nets

Jesus said to Peter, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” He said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. (Luke 5:6,7)

Reflection: Deep water scares us, probably because we think we might drown in it or that it contains harmful creatures we cannot see. The words of Christ, “Do Not Be Afraid,” invite us ever lower and deeper into the realities of this life so that we might benefit from the realities of His life.

The word “suffer” comes from the Latin, meaning to bear under or carry down lower. When we remain with Jesus, and delve more courageously beneath the superficialities of difficulty and work, we are richly rewarded with an abundance of life.

Jesus passed through

"Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away." (Luke 4:30)

Reflection: His hometown friends were angry because Jesus tended to favor "outsiders" over them. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus makes His way particlarly to women, Gentiles, the poor, and the sick: outsiders. Unfortunately, some did not follow Him out as he passed through.

Unless we notice and find our way to the outsiders, Jesus passes us by too. We ought to see them in our midst, and come to know them in our hearts. Identifying with the poor, we are able then to see His face in theirs, and thus follow Jesus on His way. He is never far from any of us. Just look around.