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St. John Vianney was considered a dunce by his schoolteachers. The only reason he got through the seminary was because he was pushed through. When he arrived at his first parish, the pastor thought him too stupid to preach. But the bishop had more insight. He moved the young priest and made him pastor of a small village called Ars.
The young priest did such a remarkable job that people began coming from all over France to hear him preach and to be absolved by him in the sacrament of Reconciliation.
St. John was canonized in 1925 and made patron of parish priests. He is a living example that the world's wisdom is nonsense in God's sight.
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How do we tend to evaluate people- by the world's standards or by God's standards?
"My thoughts,' says the LORD, 'are not like yours; and my ways are different from yours." Isaiah 55:8
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Introduction
Paul warns his people again against relying on human wisdom rather than on the “foolishness” of God and against giving in to division.
Gospel.
Simon Peter and his companions were amazed that an outsider could tell them where to catch plenty of fish when they, fishermen by profession, had been unsuccessful. This man with a striking message was indeed extraordinary. They were caught in his spell and followed him. Later, they would put out into deep water; that is, they would risk and dedicate their life for Jesus and “catch people” to put them in the spell of Jesus’ message and life.
Opening Prayer
Holy God of our happiness, you entrust your good news of life to weak and fallible people. Fill us with the strength of your Holy Spirit, that we may be ready to speak your message with the language of our life. Let Jesus your Son work with us and in us, that each of us may have the courage to say: Here I am, Lord, send me as your messenger to share your glad tidings of happiness with all who are willing to listen. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayers of the Faithful
– Lord, attract people to you by your inspiring, loving personality, we pray:
– Lord, let your Church with all its communities attract people to you by serving them, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father, in these signs of bread and wine we celebrate the central event that sums up our faith and gives meaning to what we are and do: the death and resurrection of your Son. Purify our lips and hearts with his body and blood and send us to proclaim with our lives that Jesus is our living Lord and that you are our Father, now and forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, in your love, you have called each of us to a task in life and a place in your plan which no one can fulfill for us; you have chosen your Church, that is us, to be the irreplaceable sign and witness of the death and resurrection of your Son. Make each and all of us capable of our mission and send us out into the deep by the strength of the body and blood of our unique Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
The Lord entrusts to you his word and his body. Go now, speak his word and be his body to the world. May the Lord bless you, that you may be a blessing to all, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
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REFLECTIONS: Luke 5:1-11
At your Word, I will let down the nets
In today’s Gospel, experienced fishermen return from a night of exhausting work with empty nets. Jesus asks Simon to try again—not according to human calculation, but according to trust: “At your word, I will let down the nets.” When Simon obeys, the empty nets overflow. 1
Fr. Armellini’s pastoral insight invites us to see the boat as an image of the Church. The Church does not accomplish her mission through human ability alone. She becomes fruitful when Christ is welcomed into her boat, and his word guides her efforts. Our communities may sometimes feel tired, divided, or fruitless; nevertheless, the Lord still says, “Put out into the deep.”
Fr. Ron Rolheiser frequently emphasises that discipleship involves allowing God to lead us beyond the familiar—to surrender our need for control and to trust grace in the midst of uncertainty. This Gospel makes the same invitation. Jesus does not promise that the deep will be easy; he promises that we will not enter it alone.
Peter’s awareness of sin does not disqualify him. When he cries, “I am a sinful man,” Jesus answers, “Do not be afraid.” God’s call is not based on our perfection but on his mercy. 2
Today, place your empty nets before Christ. Trust his word, enter the deep, and accept his mission. The harvest belongs to God; our task is faithful obedience. “At your word” can become the beginning of a transformed life.
Saint Gregory the Great; September 3
Gregory was born about A.D. 540 in Rome, the son of a wealthy senator. Like most of the nobility of his time, he was well educated. But unlike many, he was generous and concerned about those who were poor.
In his early thirties, Gregory was made the chief prefect, or governor, of Rome. Gregory was attracted to the religious life and soon left his position. He converted the family estate in Rome into the Abbey of Saint Andrew, became a monk there, and founded six Benedictine monasteries on his estates in Sicily. In about 578, he was ordained a deacon of Rome and sent as the papal ambassador to Constantinople, where he served until 585. When he arrived back in Rome, he was made the abbot of Saint Andrew’s.
In 590, Gregory was acclaimed pope by the clergy and the people of Rome. Unwillingly, Gregory accepted the role, calling himself the “servant of the servants of God.” Because of his political skill, learning, talents, and deep devotion to God, Gregory was able to make peace with the invading Lombards, save the city from famine by reorganizing the property and granaries of the Church, and restore order within the Church. In 596, he sent Augustine of Canterbury and 40 other monks to England to teach the Angles the faith. Gregory is called the “Apostle of England.” He died March 12, 604.
Gregory was born about A.D. 540 in Rome, the son of a wealthy senator. Like most of the nobility of his time, he was well educated. But unlike many, he was generous and concerned about those who were poor.
