by L'équipe de publication | Sep 9, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Ambrose Barlow OSB
(1585-1641)
Green
In 1615, he became a member of the Order of Saint Benedict and was ordained as a priest in 1617. He was arrested several times during his travels before he eventually suffered a martyr’s death in 1671.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 118: 137, 124
You are just, O Lord, and your judgment is right; treat your servant in accord with your merciful love.
Collect
O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
How dare one of your members take up a complaint against another in the law courts of the unjust instead of before the saints? As you know, it is the saints who are to ‘judge the world’; and if the world is to be judged by you, how can you be unfit to judge trifling cases? Since we are also to judge angels, it follows that we can judge matters of everyday life; but when you have had cases of that kind, the people you appointed to try them were not even respected in the Church. You should be ashamed: is there really not one reliable man among you to settle differences between brothers and so one brother brings a court case against another in front of unbelievers? It is bad enough for you to have lawsuits at all against one another: oughtn’t you to let yourselves be wronged, and let yourselves be cheated? But you are doing the wronging and the cheating, and to your own brothers. You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God: people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God. These are the sort of people some of you were once, but now you have been washed clean, and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1-6,9
R/ The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its Maker, let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people. He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, shout for joy and take their rest. Let the praise of God be on their lips: this honour is for all his faithful.
Gospel Acclamation : Ph2:15-16
Alleluia, alleluia! You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 6:12-19
Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor. He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 41: 2-3
Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God.
Prayer after Communion
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, whom you nourish and endow with life through the food of your Word and heavenly Sacrament, may so benefit from your beloved Son’s great gifts that we may merit an eternal share in his life. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation There was a reason why Jesus called the twelve disciples to be His apostles; to help Him spread the good news about God. They were His eyes and ears; they were His collaborators in His mission. Before choosing these twelve men, Jesus went up a mountain to spend the entire night in communion with God. It was a serious decision he had to make and he needed to draw on his Father’s wisdom. We may be asking ourselves about the choices he made: Peter denied he ever knew Jesus; James and John: Jesus nicknamed them «sons of thunder» who wanted to call down fire to incinerate a whole town. And there was a doubting Thomas; Nathanael who figured nothing good could ever come out of Nazareth and Judas who became the traitor. The amazing thing in all this is that, with one notable exception, all the men Jesus chose, repented, changed their lifestyles, proclaimed the risen Lord, and testified to the Lord with their blood. We may also ask ourselves why he chose Judas. No one knows God’s mind but what we know for sure is that God’s grace has been given to all of us. They accepted the grace, but ultimately only eleven lived faithful to it. Each of the eleven chose to be faithful, just as Judas chose to be unfaithful. The mystery is rooted in the human will to collaborate in God’s mission
by L'équipe de publication | Sep 8, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Peter Claver
(1581 – 1654)
Green
St. Peter Claver, SJ, was a member of the Society of Jesus and is the patron of African missions and of interracial justice, due to his work with slaves in Colombia.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 20: 2-3
In your strength, O Lord, the just one rejoices; how greatly your salvation makes him glad! You have granted him his soul’s desire.
Collect
O God, who made Saint Peter Claver a slave of slaves and strengthened him with wonderful charity and patience as he came to their help, grant, through his intercession, that, seeking the things of Jesus Christ, we may love our neighbour in deeds and in truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
I have been told as an undoubted fact that one of you is living with his father’s wife. This is a case of sexual immorality among you that must be unparalleled even among pagans. How can you be so proud of yourselves? You should be in mourning. A man who does a thing like that ought to have been expelled from the community. Though I am far away in body, I am with you in spirit, and have already condemned the man who did this thing as if I were actually present. When you are assembled together in the name of the Lord Jesus, and I am spiritually present with you, then with the power of our Lord Jesus he is to be handed over to Satan so that his sensual body may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. The pride that you take in yourselves is hardly to your credit. You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 5:5-7,12
R/ Lead me, Lord, in your justice.
You are no God who loves evil; no sinner is your guest. The boastful shall not stand their ground before your face.
You hate all who do evil; you destroy all who lie. The deceitful and bloodthirsty man the Lord detests.
All those you protect shall be glad and ring out their joy. You shelter them; in you they rejoice, those who love your name.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps118:105
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 6:6-11
On the Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The Scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’ And he came out and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I put it to you: is it against the law on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?’ Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.
Prayer over the Offerings
Through the present oblation, O Lord, which we offer in commemoration of blessed N., bestow on your faithful, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Mt 16: 24
Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me, says the Lord. Or, for those who served in public office: Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord, in commemoration of blessed N., sanctify our minds and hearts, that we may merit to be made sharers in the divine nature. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Doing good is always in season there is no exception on doing good and Jesus proves this point by healing a man’s withered hand. Doing good also encompasses anyone else be it friends, strangers or even enemies. We must do good in and out of season. Jesus cured the man with a withered hand notwithstanding the presence of the Pharisees and the scribes who were keenly watching Him. He laid more emphasis on the need to help the sick man rather than be afraid, a real sure of courage. Let us ask ourselves this question: have you forgone helping someone in need just because you are afraid that you might offend someone who is very influential? It is not really easy as this is easier said than done. Jesus did not fear even when he faced threats of physical and verbal abuse.
by L'équipe de publication | Sep 7, 2024 | Evangelium
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 3
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 118: 137, 124
You are just, O Lord, and your judgement is right; treat your servant in accord with your merciful love.
Collect
O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 35:4-7
Say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; for water gushes in the desert, streams in the wasteland, the scorched earth becomes a lake, the parched land springs of water.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:7-10
R/My soul, give praise to the Lord.
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.
Second reading James 2:1-5
My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that? Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.
Gospel Acclamation :Jn6:68
Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 41: 2-3
Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God.
Prayer after Communion
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, whom you nourish and endow with life through the food of your Word and heavenly Sacrament, may so benefit from your beloved Son’s great gifts that we may merit an eternal share in his life. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
In the world, troubled with wars, political chaos, economic instability, deadly diseases and many other calamities of all sorts, people tend to easily lose hope about life in general. The ears of all troubled people won’t be longing to hear anything else rather than the consoling words of the prophet when he says “say to all faint hearts, courage! Do not be afraid.” (Isa 35:4). The prophet proclaimed the message of hope and salvation, realized concretely in the ministry of Jesus as we see Jesus in today’s Gospel healing the deaf man. Performing the miracle Jesus looked towards heaven (7:34) acknowledging that the healing is accomplished by the power of God not by any other force. The Word of God is efficient and powerful in season and during the out-season, hence, even in our era, we can still hope to be consoled with many more miracles.
by L'équipe de publication | Sep 6, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Cloud
Green/White
St. Cloud was indefatigable in instructing the people of his day, and ended his days at Nogent about the year 560 when he was some thirty-six years old. St. Cloud’s feast day is September 7th
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 85: 3, 5
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.
Collect
God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 4:6-15
Take Apollos and myself as an example and remember the maxim: ‘Keep to what is written.’ It is not for you, so full of your own importance, to go taking sides for one man against another. In any case, brother, has anybody given you some special right? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given, how can you boast as though it were not? Is it that you have everything you want – that you are rich already, in possession of your kingdom, with us left outside? Indeed I wish you were really kings, and we could be kings with you! But instead, it seems to me, God has put us apostles at the end of his parade, with the men sentenced to death; it is true – we have been put on show in front of the whole universe, angels as well as men. Here we are, fools for the sake of Christ, while you are the learned men in Christ; we have no power, but you are influential; you are celebrities, we are nobodies. To this day, we go without food and drink and clothes; we are beaten and have no homes; we work for our living with our own hands. When we are cursed, we answer with a blessing; when we are hounded, we put up with it; we are insulted and we answer politely. We are treated as the offal of the world, still to this day, the scum of the earth. I am saying all this not just to make you ashamed but to bring you, as my dearest children, to your senses. You might have thousands of guardians in Christ, but not more than one father and it was I who begot you in Christ Jesus by preaching the Good News.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
144(145):17-21
R/ The Lord is close to all who call him.
The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.
He grants the desires of those who fear him, he hears their cry and he saves them. The Lord protects all who love him; but the wicked he will utterly destroy.
Let me speak the praise of the Lord, let all mankind bless his holy name for ever, for ages unending.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ps26:11
Alleluia, alleluia! Instruct me, Lord, in your way; on an even path lead me. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 6:1-5
One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May this sacred offering, O Lord, confer on us always the blessing of salvation, that what it celebrates in mystery it may accomplish in power. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 30: 20
How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
God gave the Law through Moses and Jesus declares himself master of the Sabbath. A dangerous assertion and considered blasphemous by the Pharisees. This was obviously one of the reasons that led to his crucifixion. The true God is not obsessed by the strict observation of laws and regulations. Laws are meant to serve man and any law not based on love is not from God. God desires the good and wellbeing of his people. The Pharisees concentrate on external shows while Jesus invites them to look at the spirit of the Law, that is, which is the good of his children. The letter of the law alone can be misleading when does not take into account the good of those involved. He states his authority over the Sabbath and over the law of the Sabbath! «The son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath». In making this statement, Jesus put himself above the Sabbath law, which had been given to the Jews through Moses by God Himself.
by L'équipe de publication | Sep 5, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Eleutherius
Green
Pope Eleutherius was the Bishop of Rome from c. 174 to his death in 189. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was a deacon of the Roman Church under Pope Anicetus (c. 154–164), and remained so under Pope Soter, whom he succeeded around 174.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 85: 3, 5
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.
Collect
God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. What is expected of stewards is that each one should be found worthy of his trust. Not that it makes the slightest difference to me whether you, or indeed any human tribunal, find me worthy or not. I will not even pass judgement on myself. True, my conscience does not reproach me at all, but that does not prove that I am acquitted: the Lord alone is my judge. There must be no passing of premature judgement. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 36:3-6,27-28,39-40
R/ The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire.
Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun.
Then turn away from evil and do good and you shall have a home for ever; for the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his friends.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ps18:9
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words gladden the heart, O Lord, they give light to the eyes. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 5:33-39
The Pharisees and Scribes said to Jesus, ‘John’s disciples are always fasting and saying prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees too, but yours go on eating and drinking.’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast. He also told them this parable, ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; if he does, not only will he have torn the new one, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old. And nobody puts new wine into old skins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and then run out, and the skins will be lost. No; new wine must be put into fresh skins. And nobody who has been drinking old wine wants new. “The old is good” he says.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May this sacred offering, O Lord, confer on us always the blessing of salvation, that what it celebrates in mystery it may accomplish in power. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 30: 20
How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The solemn tone with which Jesus says, “the days will come…” (Lk 33:35) foretells his violent death and gives the reason why his followers in the present moment have to rejoice while the Bridegroom is still among them. Before that could happen, Jesus is planting the new form of religion while at the same time putting aside those rigid Jewish forms, making it clear that the old and the new cannot coexist. This new way of religion needs new lifestyle, not necessarily by observing Sabbath and fasting, but rather joy just like in the wedding.
by L'équipe de publication | Sep 4, 2024 | Evangelium
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
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Born in Macedonia, she became a missionary in India. Teresa had an encounter, which she heard Christ tell her, “Come be my light.” She formed the Missionaries of Charity, who set up hospitals and homes for the dying. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Mother Teresa died in 1997 and was beatified in 2002.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 85: 3, 5
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.
Collect
God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As Scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-6
R/ The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.2 Thess 2:14
Alleluia, alleluia! Through the Good News God called us to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 5:1-11
Jesus was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little 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 deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point. When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this sacred offering, O Lord, confer on us always the blessing of salvation, that what it celebrates in mystery it may accomplish in power. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 30: 20
How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus is not only interested in crowds, he is also interested in you individually. He is never too busy to meet with you. God wants to reach you personally, like he did with Simon. Jesus was willing to leave the crowds in order to focus on just one person. But why does Jesus approach just one person? When Jesus comes into our lives, it is to take us from shallow faith to deeper faith. This is what happened to Simon. He had been washing the nets while keeping one ear listening to Jesus. Simon was working hard at his job but Jesus was going to do something special in his life. Notice that when Jesus asked Simon to sit in his boat, he asked Simon to put out a little from the shore. Then after he had finished teaching the people, he told Simon to put out into the deep water to go for a catch of fish. This movement from shallow water into deeper water is an analogy of what Jesus was going to do in Simon’s faith life. Jesus was going to take Simon from his superficial, half- hearted and casual attention to him and turn that into a deeper, more personal and real commitment to Jesus.
