Daily Retreat 02/04/07
2007 Feb 4 SUN: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 6: 1-2a. 3-8/ Ps 137(138): 1-2. 2-3. 4-5. 7-8 (1c)/ 1 Cor 15: 1-11/ Lk 5: 1-11
From today’s readings: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!... In the sight of the angels I will sing Your praises, Lord.... But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective.... Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch....”
Made Worthy of God’s Call
Isaiah, Peter, and Paul all were called by God to a holy mission, in spite of the fact that all three recognized their own unworthiness. When confronted with the Heavenly vision of Seraphim adoring and sing praises to God, Isaiah became acutely aware of his own failure (and the failure of all the people) to render worthy praise to God, and so he protests, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Yet God who, called Isaiah, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling by sending the angel with Heavenly fire to incinerate the impurity, explaining “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged!”
Likewise, as he gradually catches on to the holiness of the One who nets the miraculous catch of fish, Peter also became acutely aware of his own sinfulness, and so he protests, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Yet Jesus, who called Peter, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling, assuring him “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men!”
God’s miraculous intervention in converting St. Paul was the defining moment of his life - he never forgot the grace of that moment; writing to the Corinthians years later, still acutely aware of his own unworthiness, Paul protests, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God!” Yet Christ, who called Paul, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling, leading Paul to rejoice, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective!”
God has similarly called you and me, in spite of our unworthiness, to a holy mission in His service. Like Isaiah, Peter, and Paul, we do well to recognize our own sinfulness and our reliance on God’s grace, realizing and rejoicing that God, who called us, also chooses to sanctify us and make even you and me worthy of His calling!
Is 6: 1-2a. 3-8/ Ps 137(138): 1-2. 2-3. 4-5. 7-8 (1c)/ 1 Cor 15: 1-11/ Lk 5: 1-11
From today’s readings: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!... In the sight of the angels I will sing Your praises, Lord.... But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective.... Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch....”
Made Worthy of God’s Call
Isaiah, Peter, and Paul all were called by God to a holy mission, in spite of the fact that all three recognized their own unworthiness. When confronted with the Heavenly vision of Seraphim adoring and sing praises to God, Isaiah became acutely aware of his own failure (and the failure of all the people) to render worthy praise to God, and so he protests, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Yet God who, called Isaiah, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling by sending the angel with Heavenly fire to incinerate the impurity, explaining “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged!”
Likewise, as he gradually catches on to the holiness of the One who nets the miraculous catch of fish, Peter also became acutely aware of his own sinfulness, and so he protests, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Yet Jesus, who called Peter, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling, assuring him “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men!”
God’s miraculous intervention in converting St. Paul was the defining moment of his life - he never forgot the grace of that moment; writing to the Corinthians years later, still acutely aware of his own unworthiness, Paul protests, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God!” Yet Christ, who called Paul, also sanctified him and made him worthy of His calling, leading Paul to rejoice, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective!”
God has similarly called you and me, in spite of our unworthiness, to a holy mission in His service. Like Isaiah, Peter, and Paul, we do well to recognize our own sinfulness and our reliance on God’s grace, realizing and rejoicing that God, who called us, also chooses to sanctify us and make even you and me worthy of His calling!
posted by FrPitstick | 1/29/2007
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