From Fr. George
Prayerful greetings from St. Bonaventure Parish.
This weekend we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. After the Resurrection, feeling somewhat dazed & confused, the disciples decided it was time to get back to their lives, their routines, their every day ruts. So, they went fishing. But even there, things weren’t working out as they’d expected. For professional fishermen, to whom fishing was as natural as breathing, they weren’t having any success, until someone shouted to them from the shore to cast their nets to the other side of the boat.
They were given a new direction & suddenly they had more success than they could manage – so many fish that they couldn’t even haul the net into the boat! And suddenly they realized that the person directing their cast was Jesus.
They weren’t lost & alone; they were simply looking in the wrong place for the meaningful purpose of their lives. Jesus had originally told them they would be fishers of men, & by following his direction, even after his death, they came to realize that their jobs were not yet done. From then on, they never looked back.
We, too, should never look back when we follow Jesus. We should look to the Savior, listen to & follow his voice, go out into the world, & casting our nets by his direction. We to will become fishers of men. We need to open our eyes, ears & hearts wide to see, hear, & experience the Risen Lord coming into our lives in various forms, circumstances, & events. The Risen Lord blesses us with success & achievements. We often fail to acknowledge the presence of the Risen Lord behind our unexpected successes, great achievements, promotions at work, miraculous healings, & success in relationships.
The Risen Lord is present in our pains & suffering and problems in relationships. The Risen Lord visits us in the form of unexpected help from the least expected persons in our dire needs. God knows what is best for us. We do not question His wisdom, for He works in mysterious ways. Like the disciples, we just have to obey & trust Him at all times. We will surely be amazed by the wonderful results.
God bless you all.