From Encounter to Mission

Col 1:9-14, Psalm: 97, Lk 5:1-11

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Each of us, in the quiet depths of our hearts, longs for a purpose that transcends our daily routines. We yearn to know that our lives matter, that we are part of something grand and beautiful. Today, the Word of God reveals the path from ordinary existence to extraordinary mission, a journey that begins not with our own plans, but with a profound encounter with the Lord.

In his Letter to the Colossians, Saint Paul offers a beautiful prayer for the community. He does not pray for their material success or comfort, but for their spiritual fulfillment: that they may be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” This is the first gift we must seek: not the knowledge of what we want to do, but the wisdom to understand what God is doing and how we can participate. This God-given wisdom allows us to live in a way that is truly “worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him,” bearing fruit in every good work. This is the life we are made for—a life rooted not in our own strength, but in His power, a life characterized by endurance, patience, and joy.

But how does this transformation happen? How do we move from hearing about God to knowing His will and power? The Gospel provides the answer in the dramatic scene on the shore of Gennesaret. Simon Peter is an expert fisherman, and he has worked all night, relying on his own skill and experience, but has caught nothing. He is in the midst of his ordinary, frustrating work when Jesus enters his boat. He preaches from it and then gives a command that makes no professional sense: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Peter’s response is a masterpiece of budding faith. He states the facts of his failure: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing.” But then he makes the act of trust that changes everything: “But at your command I will lower the nets.” He acts not on his own understanding, but on the word of Christ. The result is an overwhelming, miraculous catch that reveals the divine power and authority of Jesus.

Peter’s reaction is immediate and telling. He does not see the fish and calculate his profit. He sees the Holy, and he sees his own sinfulness. “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” This is the authentic encounter with God’s grace: it simultaneously reveals God’s majesty and our own poverty, and in that gap, mercy rushes in. Jesus does not depart. Instead, He issues the call that gives Peter—and us—a new identity and purpose: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

This is our story. We are all Simon Peter. We have our areas of expertise and our nights of fruitless labor. Christ enters our boat—our daily lives—and asks for our trust. He asks us to “put out into the deep,” to take a risk based on His word, not our own calculation. When we obey, we encounter His power in ways that amaze and humble us. He reveals our weakness, not to condemn us, but to show us that His strength is made perfect in it.

Pope Saint John Paul II famously urged us, “Duc in altum! Put out into the deep!” He echoed Christ’s call to not be satisfied with the shallow waters of a minimalistic faith, but to trust in the Lord’s command and venture into the deep waters of prayer, service, and mission.

The spiritual strength and comfort from these readings is this: you have a divine purpose. Your mission begins when you, like Peter, acknowledge your inability and then obey Christ’s command, anyway. You may feel unworthy, but the Lord says, “Do not be afraid.” You may feel you have nothing to offer, but He desires to fill your nets to the point of breaking. Let us lower our nets in trust today, allowing the encounter with Christ to transform our work, our failures, and our very selves into instruments for His glorious catch. Amen.