Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Intention: For God’s blessing on our labors, that they may bring to us our daily bread and that they always be done with humility, honesty, and justice.
Today’s 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.
From the Third Meditation for the Time of Retreat | Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Because you are obliged to help your disciples save themselves, you must engage them to unite all their actions to those of Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that their actions, made holy by his merits and by his consecration, are able to be pleasing to God and a means of salvation for them. This is how you must teach them to benefit from the death of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and to make the advantages and merits of his death effective in them.
Prayer
Eternal Father, we come to you today in humble faith and in prayer. You are our rock, our comfort in times of sorrow, our peace in times of confusion and distress. Be our deliverance from the disappointments and assaults of the world. When our spirits grow weary, revive us again. Help us to trust in your call to us, to go with zeal where you lead us, for this is how we will come to know your redemption. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.