Homilies

5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: FISHERMEN AND MISSIONARIES

ANNE AND GENER, a newly wedded couple in my parish, are avid fans of fishing. Almost every Sunday Gener shows me a picture of their catch which he took through his cell phone. Since their stories of fishing were so attractive, one day four of us joined them. While on the way, I became very excited hoping to make a good catch. But after an hour of fishing, I hadn’t caught a single fish. Two hours, three hours passed, and still there was never a fish biting at my hook. My companions told me to give up and try my luck next time, but I told them we would not go home until I caught at least one fish. After four and a half hours, finally I caught ‘Nemo..’ I jumped and shouted for joy; at last my patience had been rewarded.

My fishing experience connects me directly to the Gospel this Sunday. There is wisdom why Jesus chose fishermen as his first disciples. Fishing and mission work, fishermen and missionaries have something special in common. What are their commonalities?

First, fishing requires patience. Fishermen cannot force the fish to bite nor enter the net. Fishermen know the ‘eating time’ of the fish. Fishermen cannot dictate the weather either. Good weather suggests the possibility of a good catch. Bad weather prompts fishermen to stay at home. It is the same with evangelization. We cannot force people to accept the faith. Since faith is grace, it should be freely accepted.   Mature and well-informed faith takes time, and there’s no deadline for this exercise. However, a missionary should make sure that there is spiritual progress in the parish. Missionaries should make a program to help transform Church attendees into Church-responsible members.

Second, fishermen cannot afford to be too choosy about what kind of fish they catch. Different kinds of fish bite and enter the nets, and fishermen have no control over which fish bites and which fish enters the net.  Doing mission is the same. Salvation is offered to everybody regardless of race, age, sex, or personal character. In my experience, the homily is the best part of the Mass wherein the priest connects personally to the congregation. At the pulpit, the priest addresses the needs of his flock, not his own needs. In this way parish members gradually realize that the Church has genuine concern for the whole community and not only for a select few.

Third, fishermen protect their catch from dangerous sea creatures like sharks.  Fishermen do not fish to feed sharks. Missionaries, too, have a solemn duty to protect God’s people from the snares of the devil.  Within the Church there are Catholics who want to sow division out of selfish interests. There are Catholics who want to undermine Church hierarchy and Church teachings. Outside the Church there are sects who are proselytizing Catholics. Missionaries should be brave enough to counter these challenges. To feed, protect and love the flock were the last requests of Jesus to Peter before His ascension into Heaven.

In closing, by virtue of our baptism, all of us are reminded this Sunday that we are fishers of men. There are different styles, ways and timing for fishing and doing mission work.  But experience shows us the best way to evangelize is through a changed life, a life that has been transformed by Christ. This is a life that attracts non-believers to the Church. In this Mass, we ask the intercession of the first fishermen-apostles whose lives were transformed by Jesus, so that like them we might become good fishers of men. 

                          [FR. ROMROM CRUZ, MSP
                                   Diocese of Naha, Okinawa, Japan]

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