Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL 2019
INTRO:
When I was in Catholic elementary school in Lakewood, Ohio, during my fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, I was quite the swimmer. I was young and fearless, I was small built, wire-y, and fast moving.
Today…… I am old and fearful….not quite small built, hardly wire-y… Maybe still fast moving…..
But, in those young years I could swim and swim all day and even dive…..dive off the HIGH BOARD even……fearless swimming in those deep waters.
Jesus uses the words to us today………..
“PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP!”
Go into the deep waters….. That’s where more of the fullness of life will be found for you and me.
I am not a fisherman, but it is pretty well known that a HUGE catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee would be in the SHALLOW WATERS!!
What Jesus proposes…. To those very expert fishermen, SIMON PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, to do something unexpected, different, against the odds, ……. “PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP” and specifically, TRUST ME.
When I was being taught religion (early sixties) it was impressed upon me, that anytime we learned about Jesus, what he did in the scriptures or we learned about a SAINT!
We had to follow their example, their teachings, to be considered good and become better.
I was learning that Jesus is our real teacher and he will teach us how to live at Sunday Mass…..each time we go.
I suppose that’s why we were asked on Monday mornings, “What was the Gospel about on Sunday?”
So folks, what is this Gospel about for you? PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP????
What does “put out into the deep” mean for us in these days?
Maybe that means to do something that takes courage
1. Maybe it’s getting healthier…….
2. Maybe it’s finally making a commitment to someone, or something…….. something we’ve been avoiding to do.
3. Many times reconciling with someone is put off and put off.
4. Maybe it means to venture out of a comfort zone in terms of our Christianity.
CONCLUSION
No matter what this means for you……TRUST JESUS. Bring Jesus to your minds, your hearts, and your life.
Make whatever you do, in the deep waters of life, make whatever you do…..make it with Jesus Christ.