Homily: 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Put out into the deep

When the new millennium began, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to the Church and used the words of Jesus to Peter from today’s Gospel.  In latin, they are “duc in altum”—“put out into the deep”. 

You might imagine Peter’s confusion or perhaps rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath, when Jesus, a carpenter, spoke those words to him, a professional fisherman, telling him how to do his job.  Peter and his crew had just fished all night and had just finished cleaning all of their equipment when Jesus instructed Peter to cast his net into deep waters. 

Even though it contradicted his professional sensibilities, trusting his master, he cast out into the depths of Lake Genesseret, and catching so many fish, they had to call for another boat to bring them all in. 

In his uncertainty, he placed his deep trust in the Lord, and that made all the difference.  Pope John Paul II, knowing all of the challenges the Church faced at the turn of the millennium, failing economies, impending wars, a culture becoming bent on instant gratification and materialism, he called us to, just like the Lord did to Peter, to cast out into the deep.  The Holy Father wrote how each individual Christian needed to go deeper in his or her spiritual life. 

He had offered the same message when in Saint Peter’s square in 1978 in the opening address of his pontificate, he said, “Do not be afraid to Open wide the doors of your heart for Christ.”  Cast out into the deep, open wide the doors.  For if we don’t, not only are we at risk of being mediocre Christians, but our very souls are at risk.  For, the key to withstanding the overwhelming barrage of temptations and distractions of the world, the key to avoid assimilated to the culture, and the key to becoming an effective instrument for the spread of the Gospel is to cast into the deep and open wide the door of your heart to Christ.  

In one sense, to put out into the deep, means to be extremely generous in the time we give to God in prayer. 

In that same letter, the Holy Father wrote how our parishes and families must become “genuine 'schools' of prayer” where we meet Christ in prayer not only in imploring his help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion “until the heart truly 'falls in love'". 

If we are only praying when we want something, if we only treat God like he’s Santa Clause, then we will never really fall in love with Jesus.  Rather, the Holy Father calls us to a deeper prayer life: time set aside every day for adoration and contemplation and listening.

In another sense, those words, “put out into the deep” is a call to every Christian, no matter what their state in life, to take up the missionary mandate of the Church: to reach out to those who do not have faith, to reach out to the poor and suffering, and to not be afraid to witness to the truth of the Gospel in the public sphere and the political realm.  Just like Peter casting out into deep waters to bring in this miraculous catch of fish, we too can make a miraculous catch, when we cooperate with Jesus. 

What are the deep waters for us?  Into the lives of the family members who have left the practice of the church, into the public sphere of our culture and the political life of our culture which wants to remove every last vestige of the Christian faith.   Into those places where fishing might seem initially foolish to our sensibilities. 

We need to cast into the deep waters of fallen away Catholics and cafeteria catholics.  For as, Saint Cyprian 1800 years ago proclaimed "He who has turned his back on the Church of Christ shall not come to the rewards of Christ…. You cannot have God for your Father if you have not the Church for your mother."  Fallen away Catholics are in danger, and each one of us is commissioned to be part of the rescue mission.

For as we heard In the first reading, Isaiah was personally commissioned by God to speak his message—the burning ember touched his lips, cleansing him of wickedness so he was able to speak.  So to, every Christian cleansed from the wickedness of sin by the waters of baptism has been personally commissioned to speak God’s message to the world.

What wonderful Sunday readings as we prepare for the season of Lent beginning this Wednesday.  For what do we seek during Lent?  That through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we may be freed from the worldly attachments which hinder our Christian mission.  Cast into the deep this Lent by taking seriously the Church’s call to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Down at the school, I assigned our fifth graders to come up with a Lenten plan.  To write down, on paper, “My Lenten prayer will consist of…”, “my Lenten fasting will consist of…”, “my Lenten almsgiving will consist of…”.  And to really consider, where do I need to fast, what do I need to break my attachment to: attachment to watching television, eating junk food, video games, spending inordinate time on the internet; what sort of daily prayer will really help me grow, what part of my day am I going to set aside for prayer?  And where can I be more generous with my time, talent, and treasure and contribute to the welfare of those in need..

Personally, I encourage all Catholics to be very clear about their Lenten practices, and to be very generous with God in your Lenten practices.

In order to reach the heights of sanctity God has in store for us, we must be generous with Him in casting out into the depths; encountering Him in the depths of prayer, going to great lengths to serving him in the poor, and going to the ends of the earth to proclaim his Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.