Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note- Feb 11, 2025

[Michaela]

Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note -Feb 11, 2025

 

Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8

In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.

They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “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!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”

 

The first reading, Isaiah, happened 8th century BC, 800 years before Christ. He wrote in prophesy so much about Christ, some calls Isaiah the 5th gospel. The virgin birth, Lord’s passion, all the details are phenomenal. Isaiah in the first reading, he received his call. In the gospel, St. Luke talks how the first apostles received their calling, too.

 

About gospel, itself. St. Matthew had to be chosen from the beginning, and other apostles. St. Paul, had not been chosen from the beginning, so is not part of the apostles. But still, 17 years after he had been called, St. Paul started to preach true gospel. Everybody understands St. Paul is definitely part of Jesus’ followers and leader in the faith. People understand he received his call from God and all his teachings are part of gospel.

 

Pope John Paul II was a big believer about today’s gospel. He created a documentary with this gospel when Peter and 3 others were called for, as its theme. This is not just to call for Peter and the first 4 apostles. This is to give paradigm the church being the bark(boat) of Peter. It was into Simon’s boat that Jesus stepped into. It’s the boat He breached into the multitude of Catholic faith. Lord preached all the people through Peter’s boat.

 

He doesn’t tell Peter to go fish all the fish in the lake. All he asked him to do is lower the net. He didn’t ask anything. Peter does obey, albeit reluctantly, as we can speculate. Peter was a fisherman, and Jesus was not. You don’t fish during the day, you fish only in the night. There are many reason that Peter can be reluctant. After Peter caught the great number of fish, he realized his pettiness, calls himself a sinful man.

 

There is story that goest parallel to this. After the resurrection, Peter was with others in Galilee. Peter says he’s going fish, and fish all the night.

 

John 21

1 After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. 2Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons,* and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” 6 So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. 7 So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. 9 When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three* large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.12 Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him,* “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.

13 Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

 

 

 

In the face of miracle, most people get afraid. It’s the common response. When Zachariah met an angel in the temple, when Mary was visited by an angel…. In the face of miracle, Peter recognized it as a miracle. It is not just to call Peter. All of them leaved the net, and followed Jesus.

 

Peter and all members of the church. It’s about our ability to lower the net. The conversion of people is up to the Lord, that’s grace of God. We just have to lower the net. It is the Lord who makes it grow.

 

Not only Lord calling Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, and uses his boat as a symbol, in the bases of all these, are the people. He calls them for everybody.

 

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,

If you read this part in Spanish, people are pushing others to go listen Jesus.

 

We are at the vocation of God to listen to Him.

“Do whatever he tells you”, St. Mary tells servants at the wedding at Cana. There’s a point about we listen what Jesus tells us, and do it. Go to the deep, but all you have to do is lower your net. It’s God who fills it up.

 

St. Paul’s first letter to Corinthians 3:5-11

5 What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers* through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.7 Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

We need to go beyond the deep, beyond our expectation, get out of our comfort zone. Be not afraid.

 

Prayer intentions:

Claire’s son Andrew

Fr. Foeckler’s nephew Peter who is suffering from melanoma that metastasized

Fr. Foeckler’s seminary is building a new chapel and still 30% fund needed to be raised

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