Daily Reflection for Thursday, September 3, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Thursday's readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090320.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Responsorial: Psalm 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. (Luke 5: 4)
I have read the Gospel reading many times over the years. While the Gospel passage today is from Luke, the Gospel of Matthew also documents the same story and the familiar quote, I will make you fishers of people (men), comes from this story in Matthew. In reading this passage in Luke today, Jesus’ instruction to the fishermen to: put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch, has caused me to pause.
Jesus knew where the fish were and he gave instruction to those listening to his teachings to go deep and not to be afraid. I think about the people around my circles and wonder if I stay close to my comfortable circle or do I go deep to connect with others who may not see the world as I do, to know them and love them. Do I stay within the comfort of my circle? Leaning toward others with different views of the world from mine is not easy for me. I find this especially true during these times. I tend to look for those who think like I do for fear of taking the first steps. But Jesus tells me today to go deep and not be afraid.
After life’s trials and challenges, I find that I hesitate to go deep. To go deep with others, I need to trust that the Spirit of God will be with me. To go deep and in a place that is not familiar requires that I also go deep into myself to heal the wounds that keep me from going deep in the first place. As I trust that the Spirit of God will be with me to connect with others, I also need to trust that the Spirit of God will be with me as I go deep into my own wounded soul to connect and love myself so that I may connect and love others. Jesus instructs us to go deep today, deep enough to love the other.
May you go soul-deep today,
Margarita Solis Deal