0:07
reading of St Paul's letter to the
0:09
Romans Brothers if with your mouth you
0:12
confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart
0:15
believe that God raised him from the
0:17
dead you will be saved it is by
0:20
believing in the heart that Justice is
0:22
achieved and it is by confessing Faith
0:24
with a mouth that salvation is achieved
0:27
for the scripture says whoever believes
0:29
in him will not be put to shame
0:32
therefore the difference between Jew and
0:34
Greek does not matter they all have the
0:37
same Lord who is generous to all who
0:39
call upon Him indeed everyone who calls
0:42
on the name of the Lord will be saved
0:45
but how can we invoke him without first
0:47
believing in him and how can you believe
0:50
without having heard of him before and
0:53
how can we listen without someone
0:55
preaching and how can you preach without
0:57
being sent to do so thus it is written
1:01
how beautiful are the feet of those who
1:03
Proclaim good but not everyone obeyed
1:06
the good news for Isaiah says Lord who
1:10
has believed our preaching therefore
1:13
faith comes from preaching and preaching
1:15
is done through the word of Christ so I
1:18
ask did they not hear they certainly
1:22
heard for their voice went abroad
1:24
throughout the Earth and their words
1:26
reached the ends of the world word of
1:37
God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
1:41
Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
1:44
You Lord at that time when Jesus was
1:47
walking along the shore of the Sea of
1:49
Galilee he saw two brothers Simon called
1:53
Peter and his brother Andrew they were
1:56
casting the net into the sea as they
1:58
were fishermen Jesus said to them follow
2:02
me and I will make you Fishers of Men
2:05
they immediately left the Nets and
2:07
followed him walking a little further
2:10
Jesus saw two other brothers James son
2:14
of Zebedee and his brother John they
2:17
were in the boat with their father
2:18
Zebedee mending the Nets Jesus called
2:22
them they immediately left the boat and
2:25
their father and followed him word of
2:28
Salvation Glory to you
2:37
Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
2:41
imagine a beach at dawn the waves gently
2:44
crash onto the sand the cool morning air
2:47
touches your faces and on the horizon
2:50
two fishermen work silently casting
2:53
their Nets suddenly a man approaches he
2:57
doesn't carry fishing gear doesn't come
3:00
with a boat he simply says follow me and
3:04
they drop everything Nets boat
3:07
profession previous life and follow him
3:11
this scene from Matthew's gospel is much
3:13
more than a simple call it is an
3:15
invitation that resonates through the
3:17
centuries reaching us today inviting us
3:20
to radical transformation St Peter
3:24
Andrew James and John were fishermen for
3:27
them fishing was not just a job it was a
3:31
way of life the networks represented
3:33
their Economic Security their identity
3:37
when Jesus calls them he is not merely
3:40
recruiting helpers he is proposing a
3:43
mission that will transform not just
3:45
their individual lives but the entire
3:48
world Paul's first reading of the Romans
3:50
helps us understand the depth of this
3:52
calling if you confess with your mouth
3:55
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
3:57
heart that God raised him from the dead
4:00
you will be saved but what does it
4:04
saved it's not just a matter of personal
4:07
safety or guaranteed ticket to heaven to
4:10
be saved is to be transformed to be
4:13
rescued from a superficial existence to
4:15
a life of purpose and meaning Paul
4:18
continues how will they call on him in
4:20
whom they have not believed and how will
4:23
they believe in him of whom they have
4:25
not heard and how will they hear if
4:27
there is no one preaching these words
4:30
remind us that faith is not a private
4:33
isolated event it is a current that
4:36
flows passing from person to person from
4:39
generation to generation the fishermen
4:42
in the gospel perfectly embody this
4:44
transmission of Faith they not only hear
4:47
the call but immediately turn it into
4:50
action they don't ask for detailed
4:52
explanations they don't make a list of
4:55
pros and cons they just follow Jesus
4:59
calls them to be Fishers of Men what an
5:02
extraordinary metaphor just as they
5:05
caught fish now they will be responsible
5:08
for capturing people for the kingdom of
5:10
God but unlike literal fishing here it's
5:13
not about catching against your will it
5:16
is an invitation an attraction based on
5:19
love hope the promise of a transformed
5:22
life think about the art of fishing it
5:26
requires patience skill knowledge
5:30
not every net throw results in a catch
5:33
there are moments of waiting of apparent
5:36
fruitlessness in the same way witnessing
5:39
faith is not about numbers or statistics
5:42
but about relationships about sewing
5:47
unconditionally but this calling was not
5:49
exclusive to those four fishermen 2,000
5:52
years ago it is a call that Echoes to
5:54
this day addressed to each one of us God
5:58
constantly invites us beyond our comfort
6:00
zone beyond the familiar and safe
6:04
perhaps for you letting go of your nets
6:06
means abandoning prejudices fears and
6:10
false security maybe it means forgiving
6:12
someone who hurt you serving where no
6:15
one wants to serve loving where love
6:17
seems impossible Jesus Calling does not
6:20
eliminate our previous professions or
6:23
talents Pedro continued to be a
6:25
fisherman but now with a greater purpose
6:29
his experience as a fisherman became a
6:31
metaphor for his spiritual Mission
6:34
likewise whatever your profession
6:37
teacher doctor farmer housewife you can
6:41
transform it into an instrument of Love
6:43
and Hope Paul reminds us that faith
6:46
comes through preaching and preaching
6:48
through the word of Christ but preaching
6:51
doesn't just mean words we preach with
6:54
our lives with our compassion with our
6:57
willingness to let go of our safe Nets
6:59
and follow God's call Christian
7:01
tradition tells us that those first
7:03
fishermen eventually gave their lives
7:06
for the gospel Peter was crucified in
7:08
Rome Andrew in Greece not for a
7:12
political or military cause but for the
7:14
love they experienced in Christ a love
7:17
so deep that it was worth more than any
7:19
Earthly Security today you are invited
7:22
to make the same Choice let go of what
7:25
holds you back head for deeper waters
7:28
trust in a call in that transcends human
7:31
understanding where are your networks
7:33
today what false Securities need to be
7:37
abandoned what call from God have you
7:39
been ignoring what New Horizons is he
7:42
inviting you to explore the answer is
7:45
not in a perfect plan but in a
7:47
disposition of heart a willingness to
7:50
say yes to God to trust even when we
7:53
don't see the complete path like those
7:56
first fishermen we are invited not to
7:59
understand and everything but to follow
8:02
not controlling but trusting not
8:04
clinging to what is familiar but letting
8:07
go of the Nets and moving forward may
8:10
God give us the courage of those first
8:12
disciples may it give us eyes to see
8:15
beyond the obvious ears to hear your
8:17
call and a heart willing to follow no
8:31
St Michael the Archangel defend Us in
8:34
battle be our protection against the
8:36
wickedness and snares of the devil may
8:39
God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
8:42
thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host by
8:45
the power of God cast into hell Satan
8:49
and all the evil spirits who prowl
8:51
throughout the world seeking the ruin of