Year C
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.
See our music recommendations for the liturgy.
(Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 137; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11)
This weekend we have three examples of people who did not see themselves as being worthy; being called, being forgiven and responding to the call.
Isaiah in the first reading has a vision, he sees God on his throne surrounded by angels. He hears the call but acknowledges his faults stating he has unclean lips. The angel of the Lord purifies his lips with a hot coal; Isaiah accepts God’s forgiveness and replies to the call saying, “Here I am! Send me.”
St Paul in the second reading reminds his readers that Jesus died to free us from our sins and recalls who Christ appeared to following His Resurrection stating he was the last and least worthy of the apostles as he had persecuted the Church. He goes on to say that it was only through the grace he received from Christ that he had been permitted to go on and bear fruit as an apostle. We the Christians with non-Jewish heritage are witnesses to how fruitful his work has been.
Finally in our Gospel we have Simon Peter, who answered his call from Jesus with the words “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Jesus made no reference to Peter’s sins, but said “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” In this story which took place beside a lake, we see Jesus take his Mission out of the synagogues and into the fields, the lakes and the hills. Jesus would speak to people wherever they gathered, meeting people where they were ,giving us an example to follow.
Jesus saw past the sins of Peter and Paul. God saw past the failings of Isaiah. God sees past our sins. He sees who we really are. There is a Christian song which I am very fond of by Natalie Grant called ‘The Real Me’. It describes how God can see deep inside us and see beyond the things we have done; our unworthiness; the same unworthiness mentioned by Isaiah, Paul and Simon Peter. To quote from the song “But you see the real me, hiding in my skin, broken from within, unveil me completely, I’m loosening my grasp, there’s no need to mask my frailty, ‘cause you see the real me.”[1]The readings this week demonstrate we do not have to be perfect to follow Jesus; we just need to respond to the call; acknowledge that Jesus can already see the real me and He still wants us, He still loves us. How amazing is that?
This was something which I struggled with for a long time. God still wants me, even though He knows how many times I have gotten things so wrong in my life.
As Catholics we have the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation to help reconcile our relationship with God and our neighbour. I remember from a few years ago hearing from a friend that he had returned to the Church and that when he approached the priest, he was so helpful and gave him time to talk over whatever it was he wanted to discuss. My friend told me this in a pub, with others listening; at least three of the others listening are lapsed Catholics. I found it uplifting that my friend had returned, that he was able to report a positive experience and by the courage of his witness. I pray for my other friends that they will also have the courage to come home and that the welcome they receive will be as positive.
As our scripture readings today demonstrate, God does not call perfect people because only God is perfect. God calls people who have flaws. We can pray for the grace to accept or change them and in doing so, we can help lead other people to God. But first, we have to respond, we have to accept the invitation to get to know Jesus better. God does not dictate to us; He always gives us a choice. Our call may not be as dramatic as the calls we have heard about in the scriptures today. His call is gentle, but persistent. God hopes our reply will be like Isaiah’s reply “Here I am, send me.”
Further Reading
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 520, 618, 923, 1618, 1642, 2053: all are called to follow Christ
CCC 2144, 2732: awe in God’s presence versus presumption
CCC 631-644: the Apostles as witnesses of the Resurrection
[1]NatalieGrant - The Real Me - Bing video
The Prayer over the offerings speaks of the dual roles of bread and wine, firstly, to sustain human life and then, ‘yes indeed’ (that is the sense of the Latin word etiam) to become in the Eucharist the pledge (in the Latin, sacramentum)of eternal life.
The Prayer after Communion is one of several in the 1970 Missal which sees the reception of Holy Communion as the source of the apostolic activity of the Church.
The Preface 1 of Sundays in Ordinary Time would be most appropriate today.
In the General Intercessions, a bidding for Mission might be included (see the Gospel): “That we might be sharers of God’s good news both by what we do and say, let us pray to the Lord.”
Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.
Holy God, we praise thy name (CFE257, L708, LHON333, TCH222)
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord (L714, LHON336)
Leave your country and your people (CFE354, L867, LHON417)
Will you come and follow me (The Summons) CFE812, L877, LHON740)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
