Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Cycle C - Is. 6: 1-2a, 3-8; 1 Cor. 15: 1-11; Lk. 5: 1-11)

I am a sinner.

I don’t always do what I am supposed to do.

I don’t always have the patience with people that I should have.

I sometimes make people angry—or at least annoy them.

I have not always cooperated with God’s grace to the extent that I should have.

I am not perfect—far from it!  I am not the Messiah.  I am not God.

I am a sinner.

As a matter of fact, when we begin Mass and recite the Confiteor as part of the Penitential Rite, we all acknowledge our sinfulness:  “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned . . . .”

If we look at today’s readings we can see that we are certainly in good company.

Isaiah in today’s 1^st reading has a vision of God.  He realizes his unworthiness and states that “I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips.” (Is. 6:5).  An angel takes an ember and touches Isaiah’s mouth with it and his sins are purged.  Isaiah then responds with enthusiasm to what happened to him:  “Here I am, send me!” (Is. 6:8)

In the 2^nd reading St. Paul (Saul) writes to the people of Corinth: “I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor. 15: 9)  We know from the Acts of the Apostles that Saul, as a zealous Pharisee, was responsible for having Christians arrested (Acts 8:3) and even was present at the death of St. Stephen when he was stoned to death. (Acts 7:58)

In today’s Gospel from St. Luke, St. Peter (Simon Peter) tells the Lord, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk. 5:8) after the amazing catch of fish that was made.

Jesus doesn’t choose the best, the brightest, the holiest, the perfect, the sinless, to be his followers.  He chooses us with our flaws and imperfections.  He chooses sinners and invites us to become saints.

Realize that Jesus chose his 12 Apostles personally.  Jesus was God.  He could see into the human heart.  He knew what he was getting.  And yet he chose Judas who betrayed Him and Peter who denied Him three times when the going got tough.  Did Jesus make mistakes in His actions and choices?

I think, perhaps, this was meant to teach us a lesson about our free will and about our cooperating with God’s Grace, and should help us to realize that from the very early days of the Church there were scandals that the early Christians had to face.  The Gospels did not white-wash or cover-up the betrayal of Judas or the denial of Peter.  We read about this clearly in the Gospels.

As priests we occasionally hear the horror stories about people who stopped coming to Church because of something that Father said to them in the past, or the way that Sister treated them when they were in Catholic school.  People can hold on to things for a long time.  I am sorry that it has to be this way.  All I can do now is say: I am truly sorry for what happened.  Please realize that we are, unfortunately, imperfect sinners in need of the mercy and forgiveness of God.  We make mistakes.  We sin.

Please don’t take it out, however, on Jesus who suffered and died for us all.  He is sinless.  He is God.  He is the Messiah.

Please don’t blame the entire Catholic Church for the actions of one—or a few.  Sinners and saints have coexisted in the Church from its beginning days.

And realize that in our unworthiness, Jesus still calls us to be His followers, His disciples.  God calls us and chooses us to continue His mission in this day and age, in this time and place.  None of us are worthy.  It didn’t stop Isaiah, St. Paul or St. Peter even after they acknowledged their personal sinfulness.

God’s love, mercy and forgiveness are amazing.

Jesus' call to discipleship continues.

As Jesus told Peter, “Do not be afraid” to answer that call.