Sunday 9 February 2025

Today is Sunday the 9th of February, beginning the 5th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Domine praevenisti eum. ‘Lord, you advanced to meet him with rich blessings’. As you listen, can you ponder for a moment the blessings the Lord bestows on you, all the things for which you want to give thanks to God? Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 5:1-11 Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He 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. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and 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.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. Picture yourself today as one of the people in the crowd who are pressing in close to Jesus to hear what he will say. As you stand together at the water’s edge, you notice the water lapping at the shore… You find that you can clearly hear Jesus speaking to the crowd from the boat. What is it like to spending the morning listening to him? At the end of the time of teaching, watch as you see Simon put his nets into the water… as he hauls a huge catch of writhing fish into the boat, as he calls the other fishermen to bring out the other boat, as the boats almost sink under the great weight of the fish… You might like to go and help! How do you experience this? As you hear the reading again, pay special attention as Simon Peter falls to the ground right in front of Jesus, crying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man”. How do you imagine this moment? Notice how you’re feeling having spent time with Jesus and Simon Peter. What would you like to say to the Lord or to Simon Peter as you begin to leave the scene and end your time of prayer? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.