I know, some of you aren't very keen on owning boats and I don't have one. Neither did Jesus, curiously, which is why he used Peter's boat to teach the people on the shore and bring in a miraculous haul of fish from the depths of Genesseret. (Lk 5:1-11)
At the end of it all, Peter, James and John leave everything and follow Christ, who will make them "catchers of men." Perhaps you're familiar with the story, it acts as a figure of the Church and her mission.
Christ, seated in the midst of the Church preaches good news to the poor, illuminating the humble with the light of his truth. At his command the Church, undergirded with faith, it's Peter's boat, goes out into the waters of the world, lets down the net of the Gospel and the miraculous occurs. A great catch of souls is brought aboard the Ark of Salvation and taken to the shore of paradise.
Of course the Gospel also illustrates the pattern of discipleship. Christ commands, Peter obeys and glimpsing the Holy One in the miraculous, falls down, convicted of sin, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!" He humbles himself only to be exalted, called by Christ to be an Apostle, a catcher of men, and follows the Lord in faith, hope and above all love, leaving everything behind.
We're called to do the same. I preached on it this morning, pretty standard stuff, but here's the thing. Three or four people came up after Mass and told me they'd never heard the miracle explained this way, in terms of symbol and the broader context of the Faith. They were amazed.
What does this mean? We owe it to ourselves to at least attempt to look for the mystical, spiritual, deeper meaning inherent within scripture. This only serves to reinforce the literal meaning of the Word, giving it all the greater force and depth.
Unlike, when you think of it, Ocasio "Ten Mill" Kortez and the Green New Deal, which sounds suspiciously like Cambodia's Year Zero.
Rock of Ages,
LSP
