PIP: Peter, Isaiah & Paul

Wow, the last entry I saw made here was last Dec. 18, 2006? That was more than a month ago! Whew! Mea culpa. I allowed myself to be busy with a lot other tasks instead of sharing here what were in my mind.

But today was particularly beautiful. Just look at the readings, and realize how beautiful the implication for us is as individuals.

The First Reading speaks about Isaiah's experience of seeing the Lord, and yet realizing one's being of unclean lips and also "living among a people of unclean lips" (Vat. II Sunday Missal, 1973, pp. 200), he experienced the purifying mercy of the Lord. "One of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it." (The scene is supposed to elicit pain since fire does burn!) But what do we get instead? "See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin is purged." WOW! Wasn't that great?!

Paul's experience is even more fantastic. Imagine a killer of Christians given a parole by the Lord. Paul was on his way to Damascus for more Christian killing, but instead he got a mild lash from the Lord. All this now is past, and Paul has since become the foremost proclaimer of the mercy and love of God in Jesus Christ!

Peter's is really very personal. We might think that Isaiah's and Paul's experiences might have been fantasy at the least, or maybe guilt-ridden the most, but Peter's was up-close and personal. Jesus Himself was right there and then, in flesh and blood, asking him to throw the net again. "Duc in altum," as has been quoted in the millenium letter/document of Pope JP II.

What do we get from these experiences of PIP?

Despite their being sinners, killers and wicked, they have been given the chance through the mercy of God! They have seen for themselves God's salvation, never really intending to kill out of wrath, but giving the chance to make up for lost chances to give life and share life.

Fr. Cantalamessa, the papal household preacher wrote in his commentary for today's Gospel something worth quoting here. He spoke of two perspectives in looking at "fishing and shepherding" which Jesus gave Peter, and I guess Isaiah and Paul too, albeit using different terms perhaps. Fr. Cantalamessa said that from the perspective of human experience, the world shows us that fishers and shepherds do their tasks primarily from a selfish point of view. Fishers fish for food and income; the same seems true with those who pasteur sheep, primarily for wool they can use later and the meat and milk as well. This seems to be really obvious.

But from the Scriptural perspective, fishing and shepherding are tasks not for one's own benefit, but for the benefit of the fish and the sheep. Wasn't Peter "fished out" of water when he was drowning as he was walking towards Jesus on the water? And we all know the famous Good Shepherd Who lays down his life for his sheep, even looking for the lost ones!

When we realize what we are called to by virtue of our being chosen at baptism (yes many among us did not ask for it: baptism was given to us by our loved ones, hence baptism is really a gift!, gratis!), we realize that God has our best interest considered. He made us His own so that we may realize how important we are, how beloved we are, even before we asked for it. In the life of the Church, we are fished out from sin through the sacrament of reconciliation; we are fed at the table of the Lord by His Word and His Body and Blood. When we get sick, we get healed by the sacrament of anointing. And our acts of service are given importance at marriage and ordination. This Fisherman, this Shepherd has given us the best consideration so we can really live, coming to our midst, riding in the boat of our lives in order that He may give us His life that can make us live our lives to the full.

Hence, when Peter was sent to be "fishers of men" Jesus showed him a very good model of how to fish,of how to shepherd. "Feed my sheep...tend my lambs...feed my sheep."

Indeed, we have seen in the lives of Peter, Isaiah and Paul (PIP) the mercy of God that calls, challenges us to give as we have received, not to think more about ourselves first, but the interest of others. God's mercy must really be good! While it saves, it also strengthens the saved so others can be saved through the saved.

This is our mission. This is our challenge. With His help, it should be possible! Be a fisher of men (and yes, women are included in there!).