|
At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will.
- Thomas
Merton
(The apex of the soul . . . Invite the Spirit to awaken you in that “place” this day.)
|
|
|
COL 1:9-14; PS 98:2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6
Gospel LK 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat
down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled
both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left
everything and followed him.
USCCB Lectionary
|
|
|
Luke 5: 1-11 (The apostles called.)
We often believe that our successes are due entirely to our own efforts, hence we cultivate a self- righteous attitude that we deserve God’s favor. In today’s reading Jesus teaches four professional fishermen that without God’s grace they
cannot catch even one fish. The fishermen respond by following their Lord.
* "Work as if everything depended on you, and pray as if everything depended on God," Ignatius of Loyola advised. How close is this to your own attitude concerning work and grace?
* Spend some time with the passage “Do
not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” Allow God’s desire to minister through you to pervade your entire being.
Paperback, Kindle
|
|
|
|
|
|
God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 5: The Journey to Egoic Authenticity To extricate the Ego from the insidious programming of the false self system, one will need to be committed to becoming more authentic. There are a number of ways this goal can be pursued, but the end result is that one who is more authentic knows and acts according to beliefs and values that he or she chooses, rather than by the beliefs and values of others or the culture. Sometimes, of course, there can be a congruence
between what one believes and what others emphasize; we need such supportive friends and community in our lives.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
|
|
|
|
|
