“Go out into the deep…” What? After a hard and fruitless night of work? This Sunday’s gospel offers us the story of exhausted fishermen who have experienced what seems to have been a fruitless, night-long fishing trip and now the good Lord is telling them to get back into their boats and back to work—during the daytime? The first question in any fishermen’s mind, according to scripture scholars, would have been: “what does this rabbi (clergyman) know about fishing?” After all, any fisherman would tell you that the best time to fish is at night and the best place is close to the shoreline, where the water is shallow and the plant life, which the fish feed on, is plentiful. So why listen to Him?
Scripture scholars also tell us that there was something about Jesus’ presence—a “sixth sense” which Simon felt, if you will,—that directed him to act according to Jesus’ Will.
From hindsight, we know the rest of the story and we understand that Simon and his fellow fisherman go back out into the deep waters and have a catch of fish that is abundant—so much so that their nets are tearing. The late Pope St. John Paul II used the phrase “Duc in Altum!” (“Go out into the deep”) often during his pontificate so as to call Christians to a deeper understanding of their faith and the demands on which faith places in our everyday lives. Faith comes with responsibility. The sainted, late Pope John Paul II used this mantra so that we would understand the need to become active practitioners of faith to lead others by our light out into the “deep waters” of belief. What they see in us—they then desire for themselves. Today’s gospel calls us to understand that the Kingdom of heaven is not just a futuristic, far-off place which we hope to attain one day, rather the Kingdom is present in the here-and-now, if you and I choose to make it so. It is all about cooperating with God and helping to bring His plans for humanity and salvation into our time and place. It is about a Lived experience of faith.
But our culture often calls us to relegate faith to the sidelines of life—and certainly not to live it out proactively each day in the midst of work, family, community—and yes, even the public arena, i.e., for the common good—not just for the good of me or my family and friends. That is exactly what Jesus is asking of us. In recent weeks we have heard public discussion and commentary about “the right to life,” from the horrifying passage of a radical expansion of New York State’s abortion law to Virginia’s proposed like-minded legislation and the State’s gubernatorial comments which seem to make infanticide acceptable. We too must draw strength, as Simon did, from the presence of Christ in our world: from the Eucharistic meal as well as from the Mystical Body of Christ, His Church—and be people of compassionate courage on the issues of life.
Christ consistently speaks of life as valuable because it is created by God in His own Divine Image and Likeness. And then to every single human life, He fills them with gifts and talents to make His Kingdom present in every age. Will we use those gifts and talents for His purpose?
For some folks the conversation of pro-life issues can simply be too difficult—and many times it is—but to fail to speak up about it and to fail to defend life—will only lead to callousness. So let’s look at the beauty and joy which God has imprinted on human life, in a very different but clear setting.
If you haven’t been introduced to BeanZ & Co up at The New England Pasta Company on Route 44 in Avon, allow me to do that: Inspired by the Be Thoughtful Movement (founded by Susan Johnson and Steve Tarca and having a core mission of supporting local businesses that employ people of all abilities) BeanZ & Co is about recognizing human dignity and is a café that not only specializes is great food, coffees and more, but is a based on the premise that everyone
is meant to have a purpose in life and by using their unique gifts is directed toward hope. which is something every single human person desires and needs. BeanZ & Co is the creation of Kim Morrison, owner of The New England Pasta Company and Noelle Alix of Simsbury, mother of St. Catherine of Siena altar server extraordinaire, Cate Alix.
The mission of BeanZ & Co is to illustrate the unique power of every human person while
acknowledging that we all have different abilities (talents and gifts from God) which are
complimentarily and of great value and import in our collective human society. We also recognize from this venture that the joy each person receives from having a purpose in life is just one of the common denominators of our human condition. It is about our fulfilling God’s purpose, being part of everyday life and of assimilating our unique abilities and gifts into society—not because it is a “good thing to do,” but because it is the righteous—God desired—thing to do. This too must be part of the bigger discussion of pro-life issues: that every single life, is made in God’s Divine Image and Likeness, and has great value, and that the differences of each person’s abilities should not be viewed competitively—but rather as complimentary. For we all have a purpose and are part of God’s plan for human existence. Once we see each other in that vein, can we really regard any human life with such callousness?
I highly recommend enjoying a meal at BeanZ & Co. The food is excellent, the place is spotlessly clean, and the company is enriching and uplifting. At this establishment we can count all our blessing—and perhaps begin anew the conversation about life.