Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

In today's Gospel reading we are told of one of the miracles of Christ. That miracle is a great haul of fish. The Gospel starts with a scene of fishermen washing their nets. We learn that one of the fishermen is Peter. Our Lord tells Peter to take Him out in one of the boats for a catch of fish. Peter explains his doubt because they were fishing all night and caught nothing. However, Peter follows the Lord's command. When Peter drops his net at the Lord's command, it is filled to the breaking point. Peter's response to this miracle is to ask the Lord to depart from him because he is a sinful man. Our Lord's response is that from now on, Peter and his partners, James and John, will catch men instead of fish.

God performs miracles to remind us that He is watchful over the world, that God governs the world and orders it. Thus, what may seem to be the natural order of things in the minds of people is disturbed by the action of God. God is the creator and order of the world. As our Lord says, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Miracles also remind us that without God they can do nothing. Saint Paul reminds us of this when he says, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase" (I Corinthians 3:6-7).

There is a proverb that is similar to this that says, "Men propose, but God disposes." We often have many desires in our hearts and minds. We plan many things. Many of these plans remain as unrealized ideas. Other plans get put into action, ending in failure, while still other plans are put into action, ending in success. These plans are those that were adopted by God.

The plans that are adopted by God are His, are like Him, and come from Him. All that is not from God, like God, and are not God's, are rejected by God. We are reminded of this in the Psalms, where it says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Psalms 127:1). If we plan or build something in our own name, it will fail; but if we plan and build to honor God, it will be successful.