When Peter threw his will and then the nets

A Carpenter teaching how to fish to a fisherman?

Peter knew the sea like the back of his hand. He had been a man of the lake since he was a child. He worked hard that day, but didn’t catch anything. Then, a carpenter, a man of the land, not of the sea, told him to put out into deep water and lower his nets.

How do you think Peter felt? How could this man, a carpenter, teach him?

No trusting in him, but in word of Jesus.

But Peter humbled himself, made an effort, and trusted—not in his knowledge, nor in his experience—but in the word of this man. So, he lowered the nets. And then, the boat nearly sank. He knew immediately that what had happened was beyond the law of the sea. He did not see the carpenter’s son any more, but the Son of God.

As you did with fish you will do with my Church

Jesus was teaching Peter: “Just as you were catching fish, you will catch souls. But not by trusting in your knowledge or experience, but in my word. Because when you obey, I send the fishes. And if you do so, I will send the souls.”

How many boats today are empty?

There were many boats that day, but Jesus climbed only into Peter’s boat.

Today, there are many empty boats, but only one boat where Jesus is teaching—the boat of Peter. Even Peter’s boat was empty for a while when he was working based on his own knowledge. But when Peter responded to Christ’s voice, there was no room for the fish.

The boat that was full.

What about this boat, is empty or full? I think I was full and is getting empty? Why?

I came here five months ago. On average, we have 20 funerals and one baptism. If we are losing an average of 50 people per year… But some people told me “Father, this is a dying church.”

And like Peter, we have been working hard but have caught nothing.

It is true, you have been working, hard

I can affirm that you are indeed working hard. I admire how many volunteers give their money, time, and effort to keep this church running. Without you, we wouldn’t have this beautiful church. Your generosity keeps it alive.

I know it may be hard to hear that, despite the work you’re doing, we still need to “go into deep water” and start working not according to our own experience, but according to the experience of Christ.

You may ask, “What are you saying, Father? We work hard. Our donations pay the bills. Our volunteers cook, clean, and help you. How can you say we need to work harder?”

Work hard but different.

It’s not me. It is Christ who calls us: “Work harder, but not as you wish, as I wish.”

It’s easy for us to discover the way of Christ, If you were in a company, you’d do something called “benchmarking.” You simply look at what others are doing and try to do the same.

Let see what are doing other boats that are full of souls, and imitate them. People say that the definition of craziness is do the same and wait different results.

I tell you is no hard to work more, is hard to work in a different why, Peter for Peter was hard no work more, but to work different.

Surrounded to our own ideas

When I was a layperson, I was helping a priest with a mission. There were some young people in the community who were struggling with drug addiction and had never set foot in the church. I thought that showing a movie might bring them in, so I asked the priest if I could organize a movie night.

I had everything prepared, but just before we were about to begin, the priest suddenly told me, “No, I would rather do adoration.” I responded, “Father, do you really think they’ll come? If I tell them to come and watch a movie, they’ll come. But if I tell them to come and make adoration, they’ll probably laugh.”

The priest calmly said, “Do adoration.” It was a difficult moment for me because I had my own ideas, but I knew I had to trust in obedience. I realized that God only blesses obedience—He blesses those who obey their fathers and their priests.

So, I went to the youths and told them, “We’re having adoration; would you like to come?” To my surprise, they said, “Yes!” I was shocked, and the people in the town were too. They couldn’t believe that these “bad boys” were walking into the church. And there they were, kneeling down in front of Jesus.

But for them to bend their knees, God first asked me to sacrifice—sacrificing my own ideas and my will. God performed two miracles that day: one in their hearts, and one in mine—helping me bend my will.

What I learned that day was that the attraction wasn’t in our plans or ideas. It was God who moved their hearts, not us.

What should we do? More prayer and more sacrifice.

You may say, “Father, thanks, but I’m old. I can’t do more.” That’s completely wrong. You can do more—even more than me—to renew this church. Because it is God who brings the souls.

Let me tell you a story.

At the turn of the 20th century, in Paris, there was a marriage between an ordinary good Catholic girl and an atheist doctor, Dr. Félix Loser.

He attempted to break down the faith of his wife, but she reacted and began studying her faith. In 1905, she became ill, tossed constant pain. In August of 1914, as she was dying, she said to her husband, “Felix When I dead, you will become a Catholic and a Dominican priest.” Félix replied, “Elizabeth You know my feelings. I’ve sworn hatred of God, and I will live and die in that hatred.”

She repeated her words and passed away.

Rummaging through her papers, he found her will. She wrote, “In 1905, I asked Almighty God to send me sufficient sufferings to purchase your soul. Then in the day that I die, the price will have been paid. Greater love than this no woman had, that she lay down her life for her husband.” Félix dismissed it as the fancies of a pious woman and decided to write a book against Lourdes. He went to Lourdes to write against Our Lady, but while looking up at the statue, he received the gift of faith. It was so total, so complete that he never had to go the through the process of juxtaposition and say, how will I answer this dificulty, o this other. and say n. He saw the truth clearly. He saw it all in his utter error and stupidit.,

The then Pope, Benedict XV, heard of Dr. Lour’s conversion and called for him. Dr. Lour wanted to become a Dominican priest, but the Pope initially forbade it, saying he must remain in the world to repair the harm he had done. Later, Benedict reversed his decision and allowed him to follow the guidance of Father Lourdes, a Dominican priest.

In 1924, I made my retreat at the Dominican Monastery of Kahn in Belgium, where I spent 45 minutes each day, four times a day, in retreat under the direction of Father Lour, a Dominican priest.

All of us have something to offer.

You are full of work. You who are bedridden, you who suffer from arthritis, you can still say, “I will offer this suffering for the conversion of my parish.”

This year, we will try to have more time for adoration. I invite you to come and spend one hour a week with Jesus. Begin your own conversion. For the conversion of this parish, I promise that if we bring our hearts here, God will bring more souls because He can attract them.

Even if you are tired, hear the voice of Christ: “Work hard. Come, let’s go together. All of us have something to offer.”

You may say, “Father, I don’t have any talent, but I have some dollars. I tell you here is my account.”

No, seriously though, all of us can offer something to God—whether it’s suffering, prayer, a coin, a hand, or one hour with Christ.

That woman offered her life and suffering for the conversion of her husband. Jesus offered the last drop of His blood for you. Mother Mary’s heart was pierced with sorrow. Saint Paul was beaten in prison and later beheaded.

What will you offer to Christ? Don’t leave us alone.

There is no one too poor to offer something.

Let’s work together. Go deep, lower the nets again, but this time, in the way of Christ—not in our way.

God bless you.