teaching us how to fish
“They were fishermen. [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” —Matthew 4:18-19
The first calling Jesus gave His disciples was to be “fishers of men.” To Jesus’ first four disciples, the term “fishers of men” meant that:
- Jesus wanted to use their work experience to build His kingdom.
- Jesus was calling them out of the commercial fishing business (Mt 4:20).
- Jesus was calling them to leave father and family (Mt 4:22).
- They were to catch people, that is, lead people to Christ.
- Their new kind of fishing would likewise be hard, back-breaking work with long and difficult hours (see Jn 21:3, 6).
- They would never catch any fish or men except by the grace of God.
St. Andrew, a fisherman, understood what Jesus meant, and he immediately fished for his brother, Simon (Jn 1:40-41). Andrew was such a champion “fisher of men” that when some Greeks came to St. Philip and asked to see Jesus, “Philip went to tell Andrew” (Jn 12:22). May we be like Andrew and understand that discipleship is receiving the grace to make a radical decision to evangelize no matter what the cost. Let's go fishing with Jesus.
Prayer: Father, may I live and die to evangelize.
Promise: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Rm 10:9
Praise: “The first thing [Andrew] did was seek out his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’ ” (Jn 1:41)
Reference: (We offer our Men’s Retreat, Dec. 6-7. There will be teachings and fellowship with the goal of equipping men to fulfill their role in the world today. Call 513-373-2397 or see www.presentationministries.com for more information or to register.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from Octobert 1, 2024, through November 30, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 24, 2024"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.