«Fishing», bringing to life. Attraction and attention (weekdays)

(Lk 5:1-11)

The episode of the Calling of the disciples in Lk indicates the attraction of the Word of Jesus - acting in us, as a kind of eminent Self.

The Call is manifested in a place and on a weekday, not within a sacred precinct, nor on a fixed date (of official and public rite).

The Message of Christ is not the same as the exclusive Message of the usual synagogue teachers, who addressed an audience of chosen people.

The Lord is for everywhere, and wherever there are unselected people - who wish to hear Him.

Then it is the Church leader himself who is called upon: first to set an example of trust. If so, all others will follow.

The boat is a symbol of the community, from which proclamation and attention to the Word is to be expected.

Strength that becomes an event - despite the fact that the Lord seems to ask for useless and senseless gestures.

In the relationship of Faith, Friendship and spousal trust become more decisive than what the common mentality and normal convictions suggest to the lower self [with the addition of meetings, assemblies, advice, plans, schemes, slavishness to the chain of command, conformist obedience alien to our quintessence; and propaganda, paper, notices].

In order to make the leap and give a blow of wings to reality and the dull man, better than organising and planning is the surrender to the Word, which vibrates in unison with the soul.

The experience of the recovery of others, of closeness - proximity to the divine condition in Jesus, in the power of his Word - makes us understand who we are, and meet ourselves in truth (v.8).

Here, problem-solving does not deny the human bearing, but attempts to make it speak, in the discomforts of all, in listening to their symptoms, in giving them full voice - for they are spies who already know in themselves what is wrong (v.8).

It is the inner fruit of the mission experience: a new and clearer self-awareness, now without removals, which restores naturalness, and in turn opens up new channels of communication.

Respect for common sense, and common opinions, conformist judgments, mechanisms, more logical intentions... does not have the spring of regeneration. This is true even in times of global crisis.

The new birth takes place in transforming that which is obscure or unfinished into that which makes us perceive and know ourselves and the intimate life of the Eternal, helping our brothers, living in symbiosis with the troubles of the people.

Therefore he who leads the Church must depart from the "shore" that he knows, and has the obligation to lead into the "depths" [v.4 Greek text] even of the waves.

In Semitic culture, the sea is a symbol of chaos, of death, of the demonic, of forces contrary to life. It is the context in which one drowns.

The fish are well in the water, and are not happy about being pulled out. But in the water, men are not so comfortable, especially when the sea is dark and rough.

The Mission is "to bring out alive" [v.10 Greek text] men overwhelmed by putrid sewage, submerged by raging waves, dragged to the bottom (to abysmal depths) by the violence of inhuman forces.

The Greek verb does not indicate a 'catching' but a 'catching alive', the 'catching to keep alive', hence 'to bring to life': to recover to light, to breath; to be thrust beyond the polluted abysses that suffocate the destitute awaiting compassion.

To be lifted out of the gloomy context of inner and outer impediments that bridle existence and dampen development.

To be guided where life neither attenuates nor drowns: grasped and raised to freedom and fulfilment; emancipated, placed in a pure, qualitatively relational sphere, animated by a spirit of integral well-being.

Carrying on the Master's work means helping people to exist intensely; recovering people caught up in deadly contexts, swept away by eddies and waves that drag down - so that they can dive into water that is no longer murky but healthy.

Alongside adherence to the Calling that corresponds to our deepest essence, it is this activity of recovery that enables us to overcome the sense of inadequacy, producing a superabundance of freedom and virtue.

A work that is configured in the plural synergy of the churches, because none of them can make itself complete on its own (v.7).

The common goal of mission for the benefit of mankind makes the particular denominations overcome any distinction or division, any conflict between fraternities of faith.

Despite the uncertainties and the perhaps unsuitable hour, believing that the Word of Christ can achieve the impossible is worth more than skill and opinion. 

Ready or not, on time or off the right time (and perhaps already unfulfilled by failure: v.5) that Logos remains the hinge of communion between different realities - and will make what it claims happen.Here, in fact, is the manifestation of the power and action of Faith going forward, with its different bearing with respect to common logic - when surrendering to God's Call becomes decisive in the choices, and launching oneself. 

A call that bursts into chaos, with a humanising charge, of total novelty: it allows another power to enter the world, one that is discreet but finally realises what it says.

It does not belong to the sphere of programmes or subsequent 'remedies'! We will then understand why the Lord does not disdain the extravagances of the transgressors.

If, for us too, every day seems the same, by inserting this Newness of non-conformist Light into our frustrations and fatigue, we will give breath and make any work sharp, marked and fruitful. 

We will understand the Vocation of Jesus, who teaches everywhere and to everyone - making inexplicable recoveries.

He continues to address not only 'his' audience of the elect, predestined to the sacred; seemingly all of a piece, undaunted and chosen. But who at times brood to only draw back and elevate themselves.

Let us therefore let slip the opinions conditioning our nature and vocation, by false sirens: it was quite another impulse that pressed us on, broadening our outlook on the world - and bore fruit.

Without effort, we will be able to slip away the opinions conditioning our nature and Calling itself.

On Thy Word, and the symptoms

(Mt 5:5)

The common man rejoices in his achievements, the religious man in his merits, but the person of Faith in his redeemed weakness.

It is precisely when we perceive ourselves to be insufficient that the experience of gratuitousness is an unparalleled source of Happiness.

If we face defeat, the gaze of Faith recovers humiliation into an opportunity for flourishing and better Wealth.

A spirituality that grew far from the balance of the Word of God relied on active virtues and personal voluntarism.

The Father's Dream, on the other hand, is that of the harmonious development of his children, creatures insufficient by nature, not by fault.

We do not have to annihilate ourselves in order to continually overstretch our limits, destroying the load-bearing lines of our personality - with the effort of continually crossing fences.

Sometimes we are unable to understand situations, sometimes we are unable to understand the ends and means to achieve a good result.

Often, even when we do understand what to do, we just can't bring ourselves to impose discipline; and here we all are (not hardened geniuses).

St Thomas said: 'Bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quocumque defectu'. Each creature needs help - we are not omnipotent in the good.

Understanding and implementing all correlations and evaluative balances is beyond our reach: escaping from chasms and uncertainties is pure Gift.

To "draw men up to life" [Lk 5:10: "to catch alive", Greek text] - people submerged by choking waves in poisonous waters - towards light and breath: it reveals God's Project and liberating Action on the whole of humanity.

In order to approach one's own being and that of others with a baptismal outlook, it is therefore appropriate to overlook the sorrow and mysticism of suffering, which in the past has supplanted the sense of acceptance of self, neighbour and events, contained in the Word.

Jacopone da Todi could express himself in a paradoxical way in the lauda 'O Segnor, per cortesia, manname la malsania' [Lord, please send me the sickness].

In his poem, the rigorist lists dozens of common infirmities, and (in spite of this) does not consider them sufficient atonement for our foolish ungratefulness - as if we were the ones who had to console the Eternal at least with a little sugar:

"My lord, it is not vengeance/ all the punishment I have committed:/ for you created me in your beloved/ and I have died to you in villainy".

Terms such as our ingratitude, penance, mortification... are unknown to the Gospels; on the contrary, they formed the fabric of religiosity that still stuns some practising crowds.

Unfortunately, we are talking about the most widespread platform of popular spirituality.

We priests often hear people of prayer ask why they have been punished with a particular thud in life that others do not suffer in such a way.

The Pharisees would remark (just like that): "Blessed is the Just Judge!". As if to say: 'imprudent and sinful have had their due punishment.

"Leave them to their fate, meanwhile let them purify themselves. Not only is it good for them, let us also avoid defiling ourselves!".

Only with Jesus is all this over.

Faced with the defilements, He never emphasised God's will, nor did He say: 'It is your cross...'.

He did not even imagine that someone in a future time might come to put in His mouth the pious advice to 'offer' one's humiliations to Heaven (incredible digression!).

It is the Creator Himself who in the events and in the help of our brothers and sisters offers Himself to us in order to give meaning to our growth, even on difficult terrain; even in moments of discouragement, indifference, failure.

The Father's design is not to crystallise heroes who are indifferent to trauma; die-hards who perfect themselves by exercising resilience.

All in difficulty, arriving at a sterilised - and discouraging - holiness that detaches these 'phenomena' from the earthly family to which we are united in flesh and blood.

The Project of redemption is that we become Sons through a gratuitous practice of Love similar to His; a unique one that discards nothing of our being, but rather recovers and expands it.

There is no religiosity or tactic comparable to the Incarnation; so that it comes to the aid of and transmits life-giving breath - near and familiar - to those who are submerged by waves of death.

With the burden of her extraordinary experience, Annalena Tonelli designated the marginalised and disadvantaged with the eccentric epithet of 'murdered Mozarts'.

Here, the solution to the problems does not deny the human being, but attempts to make him speak; in everyone's imbalances, in listening to their symptoms, in giving them full voice - because they are spies who already know in themselves what is wrong (v.8).

Only on the Word of Jesus will we make inexplicable recoveries - experiencing ourselves authentically.

And we will make the future blossom, "pulling up" those rinds (and the sides we have not given space to) that hide Pearls.

From "Master" (v.5) to "Lord" (v.8): the inner Friend becomes presence, intimate relationship, system of recognition and self-esteem; non-external support, and springboard.

Principle and Engine of Peace, fullness of being, recklessness and following (vv.10-11) - hence Announcement, imagination, incisiveness and conciliation.

As emphasised by Pope Benedict (Angelus 10 February 2013):

"We observe that, before this sign, Simon addresses Jesus calling him "Master" (v. 5), while afterwards he calls him "Lord" (v. 7). This is the pedagogy of God's call, which looks not so much at the qualities of the chosen ones, but at their faith, like that of Simon who says: "On your word I will cast the nets" (v. 5)".

"Dear brothers and sisters, may this Word of God also rekindle in us and in our Christian communities the courage, confidence and impetus to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel. Let failures and difficulties not lead to discouragement: it is up to us to cast our nets in faith, the Lord will do the rest".

To internalise and live the message:

What opinions conditioning your nature and vocation have you yet to let slip away?

What was the impulse that pressed you on instead, and bore fruit?

What has been your experience of enlarged perspectives on the world, and inexplicable recovery?

Do you believe that this can happen even in times of global crisis?