God Speaks to me again

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As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I was listening to Catholic talks on CD’s in my car on a long drive for work. The topics were varied but they all seemed to carry the same message for me, on of needing to forgive. I found that fact interesting, that I chose CD’s based on the fact that I had not yet had a chance to listen to them, and they all had the same message. To me it was God speaking. Once again I find God using the CD’s to speak to me, this time at Holy Mass. As I sat their listening to the Priest give his homely on the gospel, the one about Peter and the rest fishing, to find Jesus cooking fish on the shore.

At the reading of the gospel my ears perked up a tad when I hear the passage, I had just listen to a CD about the Gospel of John and found it very interesting. I wish I could remember the name of the speaker, but I can not, and as of yet my research in to it has turned up nothing. If I was in my car I could tell ya, but I am not I am at my desk at work. But you can get the CD from Lighthouse Catholic media.

Anyway back to the topic at hand. The Talk was on John and his gospels  and his life. It was very very interesting. AS I was saying the Gospel of the weekend was one of the examples he used in his talk, the one about Peter fishing and Jesus making food. But what was interesting was how God used it to speak to me, ho God planted the seed when I was driving and how the priest watered it. I was going to say how the priest fertilized it, but I figured that may come across all wrong. So be it water or fertilizer, what ever it was, the priest added to what was already there.

On the CD the presenter talked about how Peter dragged the net to the feet of Jesus and how the net did not tear. The interesting point was the original word was the net did not schism. If that word sound familiar to you, it should, it is the word we use in the Catholic faith to describe people or  institutions that are apart from the true Church, the Catholic Church.

The second point was the number of fish, 158, why 158 fish, why not 200 or 2000? The number of fish represents the number of known nations at that time. The fish represent all the nations. So Peter was not dragging just fish in a net that had no rip, he was bringing to Christ, the head of the Church the faithful. Remember that Christ state that he came for all, not just for the Jews.

I found that image fascinating and enlightening.

The Priest added to this enlightenment, in his homily he talked about how we look to do things that comfort us or relax us when we are upset or hurting. Some of us like to golf or read or watch movies others of us like to be with friends and talk or laugh. What ever it is, we all have that one thing we do to help keep our mind active and our thoughts on anything but what is heavy on our hearts. He went on to say, that’s just what Peter did, Peter went fishing. Remember this is just aster the death and resurrection of our Lord, but Peter and the rest did not truly know of the resurrection yet. Jesus had not yet shown himself to them, so they were unsure of what happened to their friend and their hearts were heavy with sorrow. So Peter did what he loved to do, he fished. To Peter it must have been a relaxing activity, one that would keep his mind active and thinking of other things besides the death of his friend. Fishing was Peters golf, it was how Peter found peace.

That image brought to mind how I like to sit by my pond and putts, clean it out, feed the fish or just sit and listen to the water. I find this to be my relaxation point, my escape. My dog, George, died in that pond this past February, and I was concerned that the loss of George would take away the love on the pond and the peace I find there. But It has not, I still find the sound of the water and the movement of the fish to be relaxing, the cleaning and care to be meaningful.

In a way this must have been how Peter felt, It was on the water that Jesus called Peter to follow him, Peter was the one to walk on the water, until his faith faltered. Water played a large part in the three years of there friendship, as did fish. Peter must have felt that he could never fish again, never sit in a boat and just relax. But his sadness and need for peace overtook his fears and he went fishing. He went to the water and found the Lord.

I understand that feeling, I could relate to Peter. Now George is not Jesus, but he was still a loved one that I miss. And George drowned in the very pond that I love (by the way George loved to swim in it as well, so it was his pond as much as mine, we sat by that pond for hours). I feared that the magic of the pond would be gone, Peter must have felt the same, he must of had a fear that the love of fishing and the love of water must have gone. But Peter found the peace he was seeking, as did I.

The connection that was made between the Priest and the talk on CD was this:

First off the fact the Peter was fishing means more than just fishing. Peter was fishing for the following reasons:

• To relax, to get away from the sorrow if even for a few moments
• To remember, to visit the place that had such great joy for him
• To fish, not for food, but for men and for nations
• To present to Christ the good works of his mission and life, a full net with no rip.

Peter is us and we are him, Peter always represents our failing and faults. It is Peter who denied our Lord three time, how many times have we, it is Peter who lost faith and sank in the sea, how many times do we lose out faith? Peter is everyone, and we are all Peter.

So I to am looking to fill my net from all the nations, I too want to present my net at the feet of my Lord. By the way, Peter is the only one to do this, the others did not help, representing the one true Church.

We all have that place the activity that we cling to and are drawn to when we are heavey of heart, just like Jesus was on the shore waiting for Peter, He is also waithing for us. I just hope he knows how to make cajun fish with corn bread.

God Bless

Paul

The Gospel of John: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Revised Standard Version

1 Corinthians 15:20-22“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.