A Fishing Story
Take the boat out into the deep part of the lake and let down your nets to catch fish
Luke's Gospel tells us a fishing story.
Peter and his friends were experienced fishermen. They must have been discouraged because they knew that if they had caught nothing all night, it was better not to try again until the next day. But Jesus came and told them to go back out and fish again.
They could not ignore this advice; after all, Jesus was their teacher. They had seen Him do impossible things. That is why they must have thought:
"Maybe He is right this time too? How can we not trust Him after seeing Him work miracles?"
The reading does not mention them having any doubts; they quickly responded and went out to sea with their boats. We know what happened next: the catch was so abundant that the boats almost sank. But the story does not end there. Peter, witnessing the miracle, fell to his knees and said to Jesus,
"Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"
But Jesus, instead of turning away, asked him to come even closer and invited him to be part of His mission:
"Do not be afraid; from now on, you will fish for people."
And he did!
Not only Peter but also James and John. And with them, all of us who have dedicated our lives to bringing the Good News of hope in the risen Christ throughout the centuries. And I do not refer only to bishops, priests, or deacons, but to everyone who has been baptized with the Holy Spirit.
We all receive Jesus’ invitation. An invitation that is renewed every time He sees us discouraged, even overwhelmed by a world that seems to turn its back on what we consider important and fundamental Christian teachings.
Moments like the present, in which society seems to be moving away from the values we aspire to. Moving away from all we long to achieve so that this world may be more dignified and just for all. Today, we pray and speak of peace in the middle of a society filled with conflict. We speak of solidarity in a divided humanity. We speak of mercy while others speak of hate. A world where nationalism calls for hardened geographic and cultural borders for anyone considered different in any way.
This brings up many questions:
How can we be fishers of people in waters without fish? In waters of darkness?
How can we fish for the Kingdom of God amid so many voices of hate?
How do we cast our nets in waters increasingly empty of higher values, where mercy no longer guides our society?
We live in a show of terror and darkness, where love seems forgotten, where the only thing that seems to matter is how many followers you have on social media and how many likes your posts get. Where almost everything is reduced to a short X sentence or a 10-second reel because what is not named on social media does not exist. A society in which what does not generate profit is worth little or nothing. A society like waters without fish. An "age of emptiness," where the past or the future don’t matter. All that matters is the here and now, captured in the virtual world.
But Peter and his friends trusted Jesus and stopped believing in the empty sea. They placed their trust in the One who can fill all the seas.
In the God of Israel, who had spoken centuries before through the prophet Isaiah and who, since then, has invited us to carry God's message: "Whom shall I send? Who will be my messenger?"
Today, Jesus reminds us of this invitation and opens a door of hope for everyone: Go and tell them that things can be different, that God brings strength in weakness, hope in fear, and boundless love for each of us. We cannot just sit and keep lamenting all the problems. We cannot settle for a society that seems increasingly closed to the message of love, lost in the labyrinths of injustice and conflict. Let us go out to fish in "deeper waters." Go where the world shows its darkest face, where there is more loneliness, despair, need, abandonment, poverty, marginalization, and exclusion, and let us be bearers of light, love, and justice. Bearers of hope. Bearers of mercy.
It is up to us to decide whether we give up or renew our faith in the One who can make all things new. It is up to us to decide whether we remain silent or respond to Jesus' call and cast our nets of compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation. It is a great challenge... Let us not remain on the shores of the world's empty seas but put our trust in God and venture into the deep waters.
Because that is where our Lord wants us to be "fishers of people." So let us raise our hands and respond to the Lord with confidence: "Here I am, send me."
Amen.
