February 6 - Sunday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Published: Feb. 5, 2022, 5 a.m.

b'(Is.6:1-2a,3-8;\\xa0\\xa0 Ps.138:1-5,7-8;\\xa0\\xa0 1Cor.15:1-11;\\xa0\\xa0 Lk.5:1-11)\\xa0 \\u201cPut out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.\\u201d \\u201cWhom shall I send?\\xa0 Who will go for us?\\u201d \\u201cthe voice of the Lord\\u201d asks in the presence of the angels and Isaiah.\\xa0 \\u201cHere I am\\u2026 send me!\\u201d is the prophet\\u2019s response.\\xa0 And so this \\u201cman of unclean lips\\u201d having been purged of his uncleanness by an ember from the altar of God is ready to speak for \\u201cthe King, the Lord of hosts!\\u201d\\xa0 Grace come through the seraphim prepares his soul to do the will of the Lord. \\u201cBy the grace of God I am what I am,\\u201d Paul, \\u201cthe least of the apostles,\\u201d declares, having been saved from his persecution of the Church of God and made the great Apostle to the nations, he knows, only by the favor of the Lord Most High.\\xa0 And now the Gospel he preaches with a mouth anointed by the blood of Christ, the word of God which he speaks, brings salvation to all who \\u201chold fast\\u201d to it. And Peter, too, the first of apostles, we find coming to faith and power in the Lord by His grace-filled call.\\xa0 A catch of fish is what touches his soul and makes him fall to his knees, \\u201ca sinful man.\\u201d\\xa0 And as He has deemed to stoop to the level of Isaiah and Paul, so the Lord reaches out his hand to Peter, lifting him to his feet and speaking to his ear his call of \\u201ccatching men.\\u201d\\xa0 And so the Rock of the Church is born. King David sings in truth when he says: \\u201cAll the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.\\u201d\\xa0 And having heard these words speak clearly to their hearts, so are our prophet and apostles set to proclaim with David \\u201cthe glory of the Lord\\u201d to all who likewise hear.\\xa0 And certainly the grace given them \\u201chas not been ineffective,\\u201d for even now a multitude is drawn into \\u201cthe presence of the angels,\\u201d where they \\u201cworship at [the Lord\\u2019s] holy temple and give thanks to [His] name.\\u201d Alleluia!\\xa0 Join His call.\\xa0 Let your nets to the depths descend, to draw up souls redeemed by the Gospel of God, that many might sing \\u201cHoly, holy, holy\\u201d to our heavenly King. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Calling" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us to love our enemies even as your Son has done for all of us sinners. YHWH, you are gracious and merciful, but we are weak and sinful.\\xa0 How shall we be like you?\\xa0 How shall we bear the image of your Son?\\xa0 How shall we move from being earthly to heavenly men?\\xa0 Indeed, it is only by your mercy. O LORD, we must reflect your great mercy if we are to find the mercy we so desperately need for our own souls.\\xa0 And sharing in this mercy of yours is mercy itself, is your greatest gift to us, your poor creatures.\\xa0 What more could we hope for than to be like you?\\xa0 For what more could we ask than to be of your love? You it is who pardon all our iniquities, who spare sinful man.\\xa0 Though our deeds against you deserve death, though for our crimes we merit destruction \\u2013 though we should be nailed to the ground with one thrust of your spear, we are freed from such a fate by your Son\\u2019s sacrifice on the Cross\\u2026 and we are called to join Him there.\\xa0 Forgive all who sin against us, LORD, that we might be saved.'