Fishers of Men

This weeks Gospel Matthew 4:12-23 brings us to the   very beginning of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee and saw two Fishermen. These two men were Peter and Andrew. Jesus called out to them and said  Follow me and I will make you “Fishers of men.”  Immediately, they dropped their nets and followed.  Soon after that he saw two more men. These men were brothers  John and James. They were also fishers.  He called to them  and they immediately followed too. As I read this gospel I  Asked myself what  it must have been like to be in the physical presence of Jesus Christ himself. I ask myself how was it to see Jesus and instinctively know that you  were going to follow him for the rest of your life. The first 4 disciples were  fishers that  immediately  dropped whatever they were doing and  simply followed. Was Jesus’s presence that powerful that they knew who he was and that they had to follow? I wonder if I’d like be able to just pick up and go. Honestly speaking, I’m not 100 percent sure that I’d be able to drop everything and follow.  In my life I’ve struggled with my faith. At times my faith is rock solid and impossible to break. Then there are times when I lose my footing...There are days when having the faith of the disciples just doesn’t seem possible.  Days when the losses out weigh the wins and I simply don’t know if God is in my corner.   Have you ever had a day where you feel like you’re drowning in fear or sorrow or anxiety? I’ve had them. I will say that it’s on those days that I God sends a fisherman. A Fisherman to  save me from that drowning feeling.  A fisherman to remind me that tough times are when God is pulling you close.  There have been many times when I’m feeling a little down and a friend calls at just the right time with the right words. That’s when I’m reminded that God is still on my side.  Still growing me and my faith as he sees fit.  

 As we start off the year, I think it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and see what  we have done to be better followers of Christ.   Last year I was invited to join a group of men that wanted to write a blog. The purpose was to spread Gods word and possibly help some men grow in their faith. (At least thats what I thought). This group of bloggers decided to call the Blog “Fishers of Men”  So this weeks gospel is a special one.   To me, Fishers of men is a very powerful phrase. Fishing men out of the waters.  Maybe those waters are the waters of Baptism.  The waters that can cleanse a life and give you a another chance to do it right.  A new life in Christ.  Maybe  as Christians we are all called to do just that.  Help each other see that trusting God with your life is the only way to really live.   Yes, we will have our moments of weakness but if you keep a few fishermen in your life they will keep you a float.  It’s been close to a year of writing these reflections and   I can say that this process has helped me grow in my faith tremendously.  I am still working on myself but with the help of God and  my fellow fishermen I’m getting a little stronger  every week. I wish the same for you.