COLLECT AND GOSPEL REFLECTION SERIES
 |
THE MASS: COLLECT AND GOSPEL REFLECTION SERIES. |
COLLECT
The
Collect of the 5th Sunday of the Year reads as follows:
Keep
your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care,
That,
relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace,
They may
be defended by your protection.
Through
our Lord Jesus, Christ, your Son,
who
lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one
God for ever and ever.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In
making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions
emerged:
3. Why is important to rely on the hope of heavenly grace.
4. How does heavenly grace help me in being defended by God’s protection?
5. Apart from my own family, what other families could I ask God for this same hope of heavenly grace? (colleagues at work, parish, our city. Suburbs, world).
GOSPEL REFLECTION
A
friend of mind took some of his parishioners on a pilgrimage last year to the
Holy land. He took many photos and shared them on Facebook. I was grateful because it was as though I was
doing the pilgrimage with them.
It is
interesting to note in today’s Gospel that Peter says to Jesus: “Master, we have laboured all the night, and have taken nothing, but if you say so, I will let down the net. (Lk 5:5).
Remember
Peter was a fisherman- skilled in his trade, would have known how and when to
catch fish. Yet he did have enough humility to trust Jesus when he asked even
though it must have been a strange request to cast the nets again. Some
commentators remark that it was because he thought Jesus wrong with his request
and wanted to show Him up that he commented ‘’ leave me for I am a sinful man’’.
Whatever
of Peter’s disposition of mind, the question remains- what about us? What happens
when Jesus asks us to do something that we have tried before or seems obvious
to do. Do we, like Peter do it because Jesus asks or do we argue the point and
not do it at all.
The
other interesting point is that the Gospel refers to Peter as Simon early on in
this passage and then later as Simon Peter. It is as though we are meant to
understand the change in status as Peter becomes a fisher of people rather than
just fish. He takes the career path known
to Peter and tweaks it, rather than expecting Peter to change career paths.
Yet, in one sense he does actually change career paths- his focus is different.
The same skills are employed in a different way to get a different result.
I take
courage from this myself as I embark on a revitalisation of my career. I am teaching music- and yet now through my
courses and website teaching online, ( talking music.online), I am not only
using my skills of music to teach but including my gifts of counselling and spirituality
as well. As one of my friends said ‘’
this is clever evangelisation’’. In many
ways, I am using the skills I know but they are being transformed to create a
different outcome. Feel free to check out my site and follow me too on social
media as well.
If you
wish to read another interpretation on this Gospel, here is the link here.
So
what about you? How does this Gospel
speak to you for your life?
How does it
challenge you?
Will you be like Peter and do what Jesus asks?
How will we
“Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch!" .
PERSONAL NOTE
Hopefully there will be plenty more posts to come in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment