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 5^th SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: HUMAN LABOUR AND DIVINE FAVOUR

(Luke 5:1-11)

The Gospel Reading challenges us to take a look at the limitations of our efforts as humans. It invites us to appreciate the wondrous turnaround that comes with divine involvement in the human environment. It reminds us that we cannot do without God. It seems to address the issue of 'omemara ma Chi ekweghi': meaning by that, that one can hustle and struggle without God and end up fruitless. It becomes a serious reminder of the fact that God's approval is very necessary for our human endeavours to yield abundantly. To realize a perfect merge of human labour and divine favour the following steps from the scriptural insights of Today's Gospel must be looked into:

LEAVE THE BOAT FOR JESUS

The fishermen were already washing their nets, thereby calling it a day. A day of nothingness, a day of disappointment, a day of futility, a day of wasted effort. The normal thing should be to be angry with oneself, God, and everyone around. Jesus asked to take over the boat. Imagine this. Put yourself in the condition of these frustrated guys. What would actually be your reaction? He didn't use it to do anything but to preach. Patience with God strikes an interesting chord here. It was only after His preaching that Jesus did something concerning the situation at hand. Self-abandonment to Jesus as the master and captain of our lives matters so much. Allow Jesus to preach on and to that situation.  That situation may be a lesson to you and to people around you.

BE OPEN TO DIVINE DIRECTIVES

Simple instructions are not simply easy to take. It was quite normal for Simon, the expert fisherman, to look down on the instruction of an ordinary carpenter who lacked even the layman's knowledge of fishing. Besides, he knew the best time to fish. But Jesus was rather addressing him based on God's time. He obeyed. May God give you the humility to accept simple instructions that would catapult you to greatness.

LOOK BEYOND THE PRESENT TOIL

Most of the time, we rely on our past bad experiences, hold tight our present sorrows, plunge ourselves into the ocean of self-pity and ignore what the Lord is up to and lose sight of where He's taking us to. The bad past experience of Simon tells him loudly that they had worked and caught nothing. But thanks to God that He went beyond his humaneness to embrace the Divine instruction. Mark his words, "If you say so..."That is faith in action. Faith defiles sight and might. Faith proves to us that it is not by strength nor by might but by the Spirit. When he followed the directions, the mountain of frustration, of poverty, of effort in futility, of near-success syndrome was destroyed. May God give you the grace to look beyond your present negative experience to follow Him to a successful nearest future.

CATCH AND INVITE OTHERS TO CATCH

Having experienced the manifestation of Jesus, the unexpected blessing was so much that they couldn't gather the fish alone. God will surprise you with many blessings. When you are blessed, bless others too. Don't keep only to yourself. May God make you a channel of blessing to your family, friends, and community.

REMAIN IN DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Seeing how much Jesus had loved him, how unworthy he was to receive such great favour from God, Simon fell and begged Jesus to depart from him. But Jesus drew them closer, to be confident in approaching Him.

Some people, when they get what they want, put God aside, run away from God, and keep off from divinity. That's a temptation from the devil   to bite the finger that fed you. Remain in connection with the Divine and be elevated favourably.

BLESSINGS

May God bless you with Divine Favours, may He crown your human effort with unspeakable success through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday to You. (5th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr.C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh