1Corinthians 15:3-8, 11

Luke 5:1-11

"Do not be afraid; from now on
you will be catching men..."

Today’s gospel is one of the few gospel narratives, which can be well chosen as gospel for ordination. It has one very rich central theme: vocation to discipleship. If we meditated at length last Sunday on prophethood as God's calling, our gospel today - together with the other two readings – gives us another added opportunity to meditate on vocation to discipleship, as Christ calls his first disciples. Let us reflect on two basic aspects of it: one, vocation on the part of God; two, vocation on the part of man.

1. Vocation on the part of God. Vocation is first and foremost an act of God’s love and grace. Everybody is called to God's love. But once God calls someone in a special way, it is because he loves that someone in a special way, too. Such love is not merited by the one being called. When God calls, he does not look at his merits or at whatever good qualities a man has. After all, nothing makes man deserving of God’s call. Thus, this call of love is at the same time an act of pure grace. Our three readings give us three models of God's calling, and they seem not to follow any pattern at all.

a. The call of the prophet Isaiah seems to be ideal, humanly speaking. From his writings, we can conclude how well educated he must have been. Not only that, we are told that he could also move freely even among the royal ranks. This would suggest that he must himself be a man of influence, or at least, a man who could easily win the ears of others. But it was not because of all these that he became a man of God. Rather, it was because of God's call.

b. The call of Paul seems most unlikely. Humanly speaking, it is unfair! True, Paul was a man of two worlds: Jewish and Greek. But certainly, he was an enemy of the faith. Without mercy, he ruthlessly persecuted the Christians. And we just all know how the early Christians suffered so much because of this young man of Tarsus. Yet, God called him and raised him to the rank of an apostle.

c. The call of Peter is another story. This poor fisherman of Galilee has no credentials to show. Aside perhaps from the regular catechesis at the synagogues, Peter must have been deprived of any good education, which only the rich of his time could afford. What he learned was the simple art of fishing, out of which he also got his living. Although an ardent follower of the Baptist, to be a preacher himself was perhaps totally out of Peter's vocabulary. But Christ picked him up to be a fisher of men.

Indeed, God's call comes in many unspoken ways!

2. Vocation on the part of Man. God's call brings an enormous impact on man. And although God calls persons in many different ways, it is here that we see a common pattern, which happens on them. From our readings today we can identify at least three common features.

a. God's call brings man an "Experience of the Divine.” Isaiah had, this experience through a vision in which he saw the Lord seated on high with the seraphim crying aloud the Holy of holies (cf Is 6:1-3). Paul had this experience most unexpectedly on his way to Damascus (cf Acts 9: 1 ff). And Peter had his by the catch of fish they made. Let us take a closer look at the case of Peter.

Peter's experience really astonishes him. In fact, his encounter with Christ gives him an immediate learning. He understands that without God's blessing, man's labor - no matter how much - will simply end up in vain. He expresses this in a formula like: "Master, we have worked all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” Being a fisherman, he knows just so well how, when and where to make a good catch. And practically, he does just as what he thinks as the best. He goes out at night and at the deep, but ends up with nothing. Now here comes Christ and instructs them to lower their nets at daylight. But what a great catch!

Peter's formula sums up every seminarian's experience. After long years of study, he realizes his catch is not that great at all. The experience of the great catch takes place only with the blessing of ordination, which marks the fulfillment of his call.

b. The next more evident effect, which seems common to all who have been called is the "Feeling of a Holy Shame." And there is a good reason for it. With the experience of the divine, man discovers his sinfulness and realizes his unworthiness. Isaiah would exclaim: "Woe is me, I am doomed! For l am a man of unclean lips..." Realizing the disaster he once gave to the church, Paul would humbly confess: “I am the least of the apostles; in fact, because I persecuted the Church of God, I do not even deserve the name... "And for Peter’s part, it was almost a desperate plea: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man…” Surely, the greatness of God's call brings man such feeling of sadness and shame. But, at the same time, we may call this feeling “holy" in as much as man realizes too that despite his sinfulness and unworthiness, God still stoops upon him and gives him this most sacred gift. Such is just an act of pure grace. Such is an expression of his tremendous love.

c. God’s call needs a positive response. And this is in fact the response of all who receive his sacred calling. He who is called cannot say no to his grace; for the truth is, it is that very grace, which enables him to say yes. He cannot resist such a tremendous love. He realizes that nothing can answer the call of love, but love itself. Thus, Paul proves his positive response by becoming the herald of the good news to the Gentiles. Isaiah responds: “Here I am, send me.” And for his part, Peter shows his unconditional yes when he "left everything and followed him.”