“And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking,. . . . . . . . . . . .”
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Monday 17th March 2925 – LUKE 5:1-11.
So, mostly in Nigeria, several artisans who indulge in one form of a craft or the other, they so much dislike to be directed or told what to do.
This attitude is noticed mostly from those artisans that can not read and write or those that can barely do it.
Once one makes a remark on their work or proffers a suggestion, some of them are always quick to retort, “Do you want to teach me my work or do you want to take it over from me and do it yourself?”
Some, however, are very amenable to suggestions.
Simon, the son of Jonah, falls into the category of the former who are quite opposed to having some supposed interlopers or one ‘I too know’ to poke nose into their trade.
However, Simon was already awed by the teaching of Jesus Christ.
Though, already enamoured by Christ’s teaching, notwithstanding, Simon still displayed some form of protest before going ahead to obey and do as requested by this strange itinerant Rabbi who took possession of his boat and was ordering him around.
Lesson: one can never have an encounter with Christ Jesus and remain the same.
Subsequently, when Simon did as he was instructed to do by the strange itinerant preacher sitting in his boat, he made the catch of his life and at a very unpredictable and unusual time.
Lesson: we must learn to accept the outcomes of situations and not allow them dictate our emotions. Such situations may have happened for a reason yet to be known to us.
Simon may possibly not have been the only fisher man so disappointed the previous night.
Due to the anger and frustration of the fruitless all night expedition, those to whom the request was first made to them would have refused and angrily walked away.
Rowing up into the deep water and casting out the net is the easiest thing ever in the world any fisher can do.
However, Simon’s protest, as would any other average artisan wasn’t for the hard work, it was rather for the fruitlessness of such efforts and for the supposed insult that such a request was coming from someone who supposedly doesn’t know ‘jack’ about fishing.
It was like when the Prophet Elisha told Naaman the Syrian General to go deep himself 7 times in River Arabah and he would be cured of his leprosy.
The General was grieved and felt insulted. And he was going to turn and go all the way back home.
This was until a silent discerning still small voice spoke through one of his lieutenants.
If healing from your leprosy is what you seek, what is the big deal going to dive 7 times in one obscure river? If the dude had asked you to do something much bigger and serious, won’t you have been prepared to do it and get cured? – 2 KINGS 5:1-15.
So, it was also with Simon. That same silent discerning voice ministered to him and he was willing to listen and obey.
“If I had caught some fish, I would have been eager to rush off to the fish market and sell them before the big buyers will buy and go and my fish will start getting dry and spoilt.
Moreover, if I have toiled all night without catching a single fish, what is the big rush running home empty handed that I will not allow this ‘manchi’ a few seconds in my boat to yearn all he’s got to say to these people who are always never satiated from hearing people talk?
As it is, today’s First Reading says that we should practice hospitality ungrudgingly, one to another. – 1 PETER 4:7-11.
Elijah, while running away from Jezebel, he hid in a cave. God asked him to come to the entrance and hear Him speak.
There was a mighty wind that shifted rock. There was even also an earthquake. Then, there was fire.
In all of these, God was not in them.
Then, there was a silent cool breeze. Elijah rushed to the entrance and God spoke to him in a still small voice. – 1 KINGS 19.
Dear friend, we should always seek to listen to the small silent voice. It is the discerning voice of reason.
Simon listened and yielded to that silent discerning still small voice and he encountered Christ Jesus and his life was never the same again.
We, too, can be like Simon, Peter.
Folks, have a fantastic day and a fulfilled week.
#SAINT_PATRICK! #Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo.
17th March 2025.