They left everything and followed him

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I Long For You (Psalm 42)

Today is Thursday the 3rd of September, the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time.

Amelia Blanchard, Avery Reider and Ike Ndolo sing, ‘I Long for You’, from Companion Songs. As you enter into prayer, become aware of your own longing for God, noticing God’s longing for you in return.

4:26

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way 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 the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

7:09

Our reading today is a rather different account of the call of the first of Jesus’ disciples from what you find in the other gospels. How do you imagine it all? What is the lake like? Watch them as they wash their nets...

As Jesus finishes teaching, the first thing he does is ask Simon a question. How do you think Simon felt on being ordered to put out from the shore, and being instructed to “put out your nets for a catch”?

As you listen to the story again, zoom in on Simon’s reaction at the size of the catch they took... What might his facial expressions have been like?

9:47

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

11:40

“They left everything and followed him”. As Christians, we are all called to the same life those first disciples were called to. What have you left to follow Jesus? Speak to him now about anything that might be lingering from this time of prayer.

13:40

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen