St James Catholic Church

Our presence here today puts us in the place of the crowds on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the Sea of Galilee. We are in the presence of God, listening to God’s word, attuned to what it can teach us. But Jesus calls us to more than wading in the shallow shoreline. He calls us to deep water as well, to the depths of our faith, to the depths of our being. It can be as scary as the deep end of a pool when you are learning to swim. But we have Jesus’ words to assure us, “Do not be afraid.” Even far from shore, let us respond as Isaiah did. “Here I am.”

When they are called by the Lord, both Isaiah and Peter initially insist that they are unworthy. After Isaiah calls himself unclean, an angel touches his mouth with an ember from the altar, purging him of his sin. Jesus doesn’t explicitly absolve Peter of his sins, but he responds to Peter’s protestations by saying, “Do not be afraid,” reassuring him that his sinfulness is not a deal-breaker. He wants Peter to be a fisher of others, despite his being a sinful man. We are sinners as well, but that doesn’t mean Jesus wants us to wait until we are perfect before responding to his call. That would be an awfully long wait. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus tells us now. Just follow.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Fr. Bob