Qua bài tin mừng hôm nay, chúng ta thấy Phêrô và các bạn cùng thuyền đánh cá của ông đã có được những kinh nghiệm và sự ngạc nhiên tuyệt vời khi nghe lời Chúa Giêsu và thả lưới để bắt cá một lần nữa, sau khi vất vả với lưới chài suốt đêm mệt mỏi, mà họ đã không đánh bắt được con cá nào. Nhưng vì đức vâng lời và lòng tin, họ nghe lời Chúa các ông đã chiến thắng với mẻ lưới đầy cá, nhưng sự chiến thắng này không phải là do nổ lực của các ông mà do Chính Chúa Giêsu. Các ông đã được mẻ cá lớn vì các ông đã biết vâng lời và thực hiện theo sự chỉ dẫn và sự hướng dẫn của Chúa.
Cũng giống như Phêrô và các bạn đánh cá của ông, chúng ta thường hay bất mãn và chán nản mỗi khi chúng ta thất bại sau những cố gắng, những nỗ lực, và tài nguyên của chúng ta để đạt được tới một mục tiêu mà chúng ta đã đưa ra. Có lẽ chúng ta đã tự mình, tự hào để cố gắng quá hết sức, để làm điều đó một mình một cách tự cao, tự đại. Cái tôi, cái tự ái, và sự yếu đuối của chúng ta đã làm cản trở sự thành công của chúng ta. Thêm một lần nữa, chúng ta nên cố gắng thực hiện những nỗ lực này trong sự cố gắng, trong sự vâng phục, và sự hợp tác với Chúa Giêsu thì có lẽ chúng ta sẽ bắt nắm được trong tay một nắm bắt tuyệt vời! Chúa Giêsu không mấy quan tâm đến những bối rối và những sự yếu đuối và bất xứng của Phêrô và cũng như sự bất xứng và yếu đuối của chúng ta. Một lần nữa, cuộc hành trình của chúng ta không phải chỉ là những bản chất cá nhân hoàn hảo hay là những thành tích cá nhân. Nhưng nếu Chúa Giêsu kêu gọi chúng ta, Ngài ta sẽ trang bị hành trang cho chúng ta để trở thành những người mà Chúa muốn. Chúa sẽ làm cho chúng ta trở thành những kẻ đánh lưới người. Hãy để Chúa Giêsu làm chủ và hướng dẫn cho cuộc đời của Chúng ta, Ngài không những chỉ là một nhà tư vấn thường xuyên bình thưòng, nhưng là một đạo diễn cho cuộc đời chúng ta để đưa chúng ta đến gần với Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con luôn liên tục có được sự hướng dẫn và sức mạnh Của Chúa.
Meditation:
We pray for so many things, such as health, success, and relationships. The prayer of Colossians for Christians is the one prayer that should be in our hearts. It takes care of everything! Paul — or someone writing in his name — prayed that his community might be filled with spiritual understanding and a full knowledge of God’s will. When we have that everything else seems to fall into place. As the old saying goes, it is better to seek the God of consolation rather than the consolation of God.
Peter and his friends were probably irritated and a little amused when Jesus told them to put down their nets again. After all, they had fished all night without success. The final attempt was a winner because it was done at the Lord's direction and guidance and with his help. In a similar way, we often become discouraged when our own efforts to achieve something have been unsuccessful. Perhaps we have been trying too hard to do it alone — our own ego and weakness gets in the way. Make another attempt — but this time with Jesus. Maybe we will haul in a great catch! Jesus was not interested in Peter’s embarrassment at his own weakness and unworthiness.
Again, our journey is not about perfectionism or personal accomplishments. If Jesus calls us, he will fashion us into the person we were meant to be. He will make us fishers of people. Let Jesus be your director, not just an occasional consultant. Lord, give me your constant guidance and strength
Rerflection:
Introductory Prayer: Lord, as we begin this meditation, I feel you have stepped into my boat. I put out a short distance from shore, away from all my daily concerns, to listen to you alone. It is just you and I, and I sense that you are going to ask something of me. I am truly humbled and grateful that you would spend so much personal time with me.
Petition: Christ, help me to understand and embrace your call to holiness for me.
1. Teacher: Jesus taught by the lake. We know that he taught in many other places too: in the Temple, in synagogues, on mountains, among children. Today he had a great crowd around him by the lake. For these people, the lake was everything: water, food, transportation, an object of beauty, and contemplation. Yet beneath its usually still and deep blue surface, there was a whole other world unknown to them. How appropriate that next to it, Christ, who could probe its depths, uncovered for them the many mysteries of faith and the divine plan! He can help us understand so many things that are a part of our daily lives, yet in many ways, remain unfamiliar or unintelligible to us.
2. Leader: It is one thing to get the curious crowds to give you a moment of their attention, but quite another to motivate people to give you their dedication and their life. Christ knew that to get someone to commit, directing an interesting story to the general public would not be enough. Personal attention was in order. Christ stepped into Peter’s boat and asked him for a favor, a simple task: “Put out a short distance from the shore.” Christ’s first tasks are usually not that hard for us to execute: simply material compliance and a little generosity. But if we let him ride with us long enough, he will eventually ask us for something that demands faith and may go against our reason or personal comfort. We want Christ to win us over for good, but how can he do so if we don’t let him take us for a ride “out into the deep?”
3. Motivator: Do I get surprised when Christ does something marvelous in my life? Does astonishment seize me? Maybe I’m not surprised. Perhaps I think what is good or successful in me originates from myself. Proud is the person who thinks so. Proud, too, is the person who recognizes the hand of God and nevertheless responds, “Leave me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Christ just performed a miracle through the obedience of a sinful man; why can’t he do it again? Why do I respond, “Leave me, Lord,” unless I’m not ready to obey? When I call my partners to come over and check it out, do I do so to allow this experience of Christ to touch others? Or do I do so to help them see how greatly endowed I am? If I am to become a fisher of men like Peter, I, too, must purify myself from these all-too-human reactions. Don’t worry; my pettiness doesn’t faze Christ. Listen to him: “Do not be afraid. You will become…”
Conversation with Christ: So many souls are hustling through this world without knowing where they are going and without enjoying your friendship as I do. I do not know if you want to reach many or few of them through me, but I think they are many. My heart is ready, O Lord. Fill me with apostolic zeal.
Resolution: I will work on being a good and positive motivator today.
WAU- Meditation: Luke 5:1-11 - 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
Lower your nets for a catch. (Luke 5:4)
Can you imagine the look on Peter’s face when he realized how many fish were coming up in his net? No wonder he dropped to his knees! He realized that he was in the presence of someone totally “other,” someone he felt compelled to call “Lord” (Luke 5:8). From that moment on, Peter’s life was changed. Now he was going to fish with a spiritual net, catching men and women for the Lord.
Today, Jesus is still calling his disciples to lower their nets for a catch. But practically speaking, what does lowering our nets look like? First and foremost, it means acting and speaking in such a way that we shine the light of Christ into others’ lives. Befriend someone. Offer to pray with a neighbor who is sick. Invite an acquaintance over for coffee or dessert. As you try to do these things, remember to just be yourself, not some idealized version of the “perfect” Christian. Just take one step forward with someone, and see what happens. Most likely, you will find Jesus’ light shining out of you just fine whether you share about your faith or talk about your favorite book or movie.
Try this mental image as you go through the day today. Picture yourself carrying a big, invisible fishing net beside you and asking the Lord to sweep as many people as possible into it. Remember, he’s the One who does all the catching. Your part is to let your net down by practicing the kind of actions and behaviors that will attract people to him. In other words, you are the “bait” that can draw others into the kingdom. As people see the light of Christ in you, they will be drawn toward it, so that Jesus can sweep them into the large net of God’s kingdom.
When Jesus first asked him to let down his nets, Peter was fairly skeptical. The best response he could conjure up was something along the lines of: “I’m just doing this because you asked me to.” And look how miraculously Jesus worked! So even if you feel like you have been “fishing” for a long time with few results, go ahead and throw that net out one more time today. You may just be amazed at the results! “Lord, I want to lower my net for a catch today. Let your light and love shine through me.”
Meditation:
We pray for so many things, such as health, success, and relationships. The prayer of Colossians for Christians is the one prayer that should be in our hearts. It takes care of everything! Paul — or someone writing in his name — prayed that his community might be filled with spiritual understanding and a full knowledge of God’s will. When we have that everything else seems to fall into place. As the old saying goes, it is better to seek the God of consolation rather than the consolation of God.
Peter and his friends were probably irritated and a little amused when Jesus told them to put down their nets again. After all, they had fished all night without success. The final attempt was a winner because it was done at the Lord's direction and guidance and with his help. In a similar way, we often become discouraged when our own efforts to achieve something have been unsuccessful. Perhaps we have been trying too hard to do it alone — our own ego and weakness gets in the way. Make another attempt — but this time with Jesus. Maybe we will haul in a great catch! Jesus was not interested in Peter’s embarra
Again, our journey is not about perfectionism or personal accomplishments. If Jesus calls us, he will fashion us into the person we were meant to be. He will make us fishers of people. Let Jesus be your director, not just an occasional consultant. Lord, give me your constant guidance and strength
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