Fishing

This morning's gospel found Peter returned to fishing. Was this a desparate act? He had left all to follow Jesus--his nets, his father. Now it had all come to an abrupt end. Did taking up the nets remind him of what was lost? In some ways I could identify with Peter when he was not longer aware of the presence of Jesus. Most of us live in a place where the felt sense of Jesus' presence is fleeting.

Then two he labored all night and caught nothing. Again, I heard a message addressed to me. How I long to see the fruits of my labor. Working without seeing results always leaves me disappointed. But at the suggestion of Jesus, Peter and the others have an abundantly fruitful experience. Some say that the people of the time thought that 153 species of fish represented all of the kinds there were in the Sea of Galilee. So the catch implied that it was the whole fish world that was hauled in.

Did Peter remember at that moment that Jesus had told him he would be a fisher of men? Did he know that he was called not to be a messenger for the whole world?

What stays with me from the story is the image of the net, filled to bursting, being dragged onto the shore. What joy! What abundance! What does it say for me today? Maybe it says that obedience of Jesus is all that is necessary and whether I see results in my ministry or not I can rest in the abundance of God's love which provides.