30th of November ( English )

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22 

 (alternate reading for Advent season: Matthew 15:29-37)

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea;  for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.  22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

The contemplation

I invite you all to enter into the thinking of these brothers who later became Disciples of Christ. If Jesus has chosen to be fishers of men, it is because Jesus was aware what they were capable of and Jesus never asks us something impossible beyond our capacities. Even if the demand may come with certain exigence, we will be complimented with the necessary grace to accomplish.

These brothers though remained far away physically from Jesus, they we very close to Jesus and the Holy Spirit was working in them. Before Peter could know Jesus personally, Andrew has already being with Jesus and listened to Him. All these played an important role in their discipleship.

All our experiences, though bitter it may be, Jesus is there to transform them as a means to accomplish His will. Nothing happens par hazard, everything goes as planned by the divine will. It is thus important that we simply search the will of the Father and try to accomplish, so that one day we may discover the plan of God in detail.

These poor fishermen were not aware that in the great Church that Jesus will establish, they will be pillars and give their blood for the same Church and for the faith. So, let us watch all the divine calls in our daily life and try to respond to God simply and faithfully.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Jesus chooses them for what they can become, by an anonymous early author from the Greek church

"'Before he says or does anything, he calls the apostles so nothing may be concealed from them as to Christ's words or works and they may later say in confidence: 'For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). He sees them not bodily but spiritually, regarding not their appearance but their hearts. And he chooses them not as apostles but because they could become apostles. Just as an artist who sees precious, and not rough-hewn, stones chooses them - not because of what they are but because of what they can become. Like the sensitive artist who does not spurn the unshaped good - so too the Lord, upon seeing them, does not choose their works but their hearts." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 7, the Greek fathers).