The liturgy inspires us with confidence In God in the midst of the struggles, sufferings and calamities of this life. In today's Gospel Jesus shows that the true doctrine is preached only from that Church of which Peter is the head, (St. John 21: 15.) which is here represented by his ship. Amid storms of persecution Jesus has preserved His ship and He will preserve this infrangible mystical vessel, His Church, until the end of time. (St. Matthew 16: 18).
Semi-Double GREEN Vestments
EPISTLE: Romans 8: 18-23
Lesson from the
Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Romans. Brethren, I reckon that the
sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to
come, that shall be revealed to us. For the expectation of the creature waiteth
for the revelation of the sons of God, for the creature was made subject to
vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that made it subject in hope;
because the creature also itself shall be delivered from the servitude of
corruption, into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know
that every creature groaneth, and travaileth in pain, even till now and not
only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God,
the redemption of our body in Christ Jesus Our Lord.
GOSPEL: Luke 12: 1-8
At that time, when
the multitude pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake
of Genesareth. And He saw two ships standing by the lake but the fishermen were
gone out of them, and were washing their nets; and going up into one of the
ships that was Simon's, He desired him to draw back a little from the land: and
sitting He taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when He had ceased to
speak, He said to Simon: "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets
for a draught." And Simon, answering, said to Him: Master, we have labored
all the night, and have taken nothing, but at Thy word I will let down the net.
And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes and
their net broke: and they beckoned to their partners that were in the other
ship, that they should come and help them and they came, and filled both the
ships, so that they were almost sinking. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell
down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of
fishes which they had taken: and so were also James and John the sons of
Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: "Fear not,
from henceforth thou shalt catch men." And having brought their ships to
land, leaving all things, they followed Him.
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REFLECTIONS/COMMENTARY
Epistle: Romans 8:
18-23
18 For I reckon that
the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to
come, that shall be revealed in us.
19 For the
expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God.
Commentary on Verse
19 The expectation of the creature. He speaks of the corporal creation, made
for the use and service of man; and, by occasion of his sin made subject to
vanity, that is, to a perpetual instability, tending to corruption and other
defects; so that by a figure of speech, it is here said to groan and be in
labour, and to long for its deliverance, which is then to come, when sin shall
reign no more; and God shall raise the bodies, and united them to their souls,
never more to separate, and to be in everlasting happiness in Heaven. Ch.
Waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God. That is, for the time after this
life, when it shall be made manifest that they are the sons of God, and heirs
of the kingdom of this glory. Several interpreters understand all creatures
whatsoever, even irrational and inanimate creatures of this world, which are
represented as if they had a knowledge and sense of a more happy condition, of
a new unchangeable state of perfection, which they are to receive at the end of
the world. See 2 Peter i. 13. Apoc. xxi. 1. Now every insensible creature is
figuratively brought in groaning like a woman in labor, waiting, and wishing
for that new and happy state; but in the mean time unwillingly made subject to
vanity, i.e. to these changeable imperfections of generations and corruptions,
which then they shall be delivered from. The creature, & c. The
creatures expect with impatience, and hope with confidence, to see a happy
change in their condition; they flatter themselves that they will be delivered
from the captivity of sin, to which man has reduced them, and enter into the
liberty of the glory of the sons of God. Not that the inanimate creation will
really participate the happiness and glory of the elect; although in some sense
they may be said to have part in it, since they will enter into a pure,
incorruptible and perfect state to the end of ages. They will no longer be
subject to those changes and vicissitudes which sin has brought upon them; nor
will sinful man any longer abuse their beauty and goodness in offending the
Creator of all. St. Ambrose and St. Jerome teach that the sun, moon, and stars
will be then much more brilliant and beautiful than at present, no longer
subject to those changes they at present suffer. Philo and Tertullian teach
that the beasts of prey will then lay aside their ferocity, and venomous
serpents their poisonous qualities. Calmet. Others, by the creature or
creatures, understand men only, and Christians, who groan under miseries and
temptations in this mortal life, amidst the vanities of this world, under the
slavery of corruption; who having already (v. 23.) received the first-fruits of
the Spirit, the grace of God in baptism, have been made the children of God,
and now, with expectation and great earnestness, wait and long for a more
perfect adoption of the sons of God: for the redemption of their bodies, when
the bodies, as well as the souls of the elect, shall rise to an immortal life,
and complete happiness in Heaven. Wi.
20 For the creature
was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him that made it
subject, in hope:
21 Because the
creature also itself shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption, into
the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that
every creature groaneth and travaileth in pain, even till now.
23 And not only it,
but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the
redemption of our body.
Gospel: St. Luke 5:
1-11
1 At that time it
came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon Him to hear the word of
God, He stood by the lake of Genesareth,
2 And saw two ships
standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing
their nets.
Commentary on Verse 2
Washing their nets. See St. Matt. iv. 18. and St. Mark i. 16, where it is said,
that Christ saw them when they were casting their nets; i.e. some of them were
casting, others washing, or mending, their nets. Wi.
3 And going into one
of the ships that was Simon's, He desired him to draw back a little from the
land. And sitting He taught the multitudes out of the ship.
Commentary on Verse 3
Why is it mentioned that there were two ships; that one of them was Simon Peter's,
that Christ went into that one, and sat down in it, and sitting He taught out
of that ship. No doubt, answer many of the ancient commentators, to shew that
the Church was figured by the barque of Peter, and that in it is the chair of
Christ, a permanent authority, prefigured by Christ's sitting down, and the
true word of God.
4 Now when He had
ceased to speak, He said to Simon: "Launch out into the deep, and let down
your nets for a draught."
Commentary on Verse 4
Put back from whence you have just now returned. Where you failed without
Christ, with Christ you will prove successful. Now is the proper time, when you
act in My presence, and according to My orders; before it was not, when you
followed your own, and not My will. Maldon. St. Austin interprets the text,
Launch out into the deep, as spoken of distant nations, to whom the gospel was
afterwards delivered: tolle signum in gentes, ad eas, quo prope, et ad eas quo
longe. Isai. v. 26. and xi. 12.
5 And Simon answering
said to Him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but
at thy word I will let down the net.
Commentary on Verse 5
Though these words of St. Peter seem to express his little hope of success, as
he had been toiling the whole night, the most favorable time for fishing, yet
they were intended by St. Peter to show his great confidence, that
notwithstanding his bad success, he was willing to obey; he relied on His
words, and let go his net in the same place where before he had been
disappointed; and the event proved that the obedience and confidence of Peter
were not in vain. Maldon. & c.
6 And when they had
done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.
Commentary on Verse 6
When Christ commanded Peter to let go the net, as great a quantity of fishes
were taken as this Lord of the land and sea wished. For the Voice of the Lord
is the Voice of power, at the command of which, in the beginning of the world,
light and every created thing sprang into existence. This it was that so much astonished
Peter. St. Gregory Nazianzen c. xxxi. The net is broken, but the fishes are not
lost, because the Lord preserves His servants among the scandals (schisms and
heresies) of His enemies. Venenerable St. Bede.
7 And they beckoned
to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help
them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost
sinking.
Commentary on Verse 7
The other ship was probably at such a distance from them, that they could not
be heard, had they called out to them; and this also is another proof of the
greatness of the miracle, that though the other ship was fishing in the same
place, though a little removed, they could catch nothing. Maldonatus This also
shows that Peter was to call in other co-laborers, and that all were to come
into Peter's ship. St. Ambrose in Luc.
8 Which when Simon
Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a
sinful man, O Lord.
Commentary on Verse 8
Such was the excess of St. Peter's humility, that he judged himself unworthy in
the presence of Christ, and by this rendered himself more worthy. So the
centurion, for a similar act of self-abasement, merited to hear from Truth
itself, that he was preferred to all Israel. Euthymius is however of opinion,
that St. Peter desired Christ to leave him through fear, lest some evil should
befall him, because he was not worthy of His presence. In the same manner as
the widow of Sarepta thought her son had died, because she was not worthy of
the presence of Elias. 3 Kings xvii. 18. Maldonatus.
9 For he was wholly
astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they
had taken.
10 And so were also
James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith
to Simon: "Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men."
Commentary on Verse
10 Jesus Christ answers the thought of St. Peter, that instead of any loss or
evil coming to him, he should, on the contrary, receive a great reward, by
being appointed a fisher of men; and, as he had taken so many fishes by the
divine assistance, so he should take in his net innumerable souls, not so much
by his own industry, as by the divine grace and assistance. Maldonatus.
11 And having brought
their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed Him.
Commentary on Verse
11 We may suppose that these four apostles, like Andrew, followed Jesus Christ
at the first call, but without attaching themselves to Him; and that now they
attached themselves to Him, never to leave Him more.
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