Sunday, February 9th 2025 – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C Readings: Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8, Psalm 138 “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.”, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11

                                                      THE CALL
God has a personal plan for every man 
      When He thought of you, He entrusted you with a mission. And you will be happy in this life only if you fulfill your task. When men ask themselves: “Why did I come into this world? What am I doing here?” they discover the meaning of their lives.
 
Sisters and brothers:
1. That happened to Peter, as St. Luke tells us in the Gospel. While they were fishing on the lake, Jesus said to him: “Simon, son of John, you will be a fisher of men.” Peter took it seriously, and that is where his apostolic vocation began.
     What does God expect from you? From all eternity He has called you by your name. The Lord knows you and loves you personally. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart, let Him in and be generous in doing what He wants.
 
     The great Spanish guitarist Narciso Yépez recalls God’s call in this way: “Suddenly I heard Him within me. Perhaps He had called me on other occasions, but I had not heard Him. That day I had ‘the door open’ and God was able to enter. He not only made Himself heard but He entered fully and forever into my life.”
 
2. We can discover in Peter three attitudes that we should imitate:
 
The first is that Peter was capable of trusting in Jesus, even when He asked him to do something that seemed absurd— like casting the nets after fishing all night. His response, “In your name, I will let down the nets,” reflects a soul that trusts blindly in the Lord.

The second is that Peter examined himself and quickly reached a simple but difficult conclusion to accept and confess: “I am a sinner.” Because of this, he was saved.
 
The third is that Peter began living for others. At that moment, Jesus gave direction to his life: you will live for others, you will live for men, you will suffer for them, and you will rejoice for them.
 
When we attain Peter’s humble attitude, we are able to understand others and never judge them. We learn to accept ourselves, to be patient with our limitations, to endure ourselves, and not to be scandalized when we see our own pettiness.
 
3. The miracle of the miraculous catch also teaches us that when things are done in the name of Jesus, they always succeed. The lake seemed empty, but it turned out it was full. Christ does not rely only on angels or saints to continue His work; He looks for simple, weak, sinful people, willing to follow Him generously.
 
Let us ask Jesus to dispel all our doubts and fears, to help us overcome every temptation. Jesus, from the Tabernacle, is the most understanding friend and the most devoted lover. And don’t forget, today Jesus is calling you by your name. Always say to Him: “Here I am, Lord!”

Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests