Homily on the First Sunday of Luke
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1960)
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1960)
Dear brothers and sisters, today we read a wondrous story about the miraculous fishing of the Apostle Peter on Lake Gennesaret. The Evangelist Luke tells us that once, when the Lord was standing at the shore of the lake, and the people were crowding to Him to hear the word of God, He saw two boats and fishermen coming out of them, who were washing their nets. Entering one of them, which belonged to Simon, He asked them to sail a little away from the shore, and sitting down, He taught the people from the boat. When He stopped teaching, He said to Simon:
“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:4-11)
"Do not be afraid," the Lord seems to say, "for from now on you will catch men, that is, with your snare of words you will ensnare people into My faith, teach them repentance, My righteousness, and all virtue, and you will bring them to eternal life. Do not be afraid, that is, do not tremble and do not think that I, the All-Righteous, have come to punish sinners. I have come to save and to have mercy, for I alone know all the weakness of the human being, I know that the terrible deadly scab of sin has covered all mankind, that by the evil cunning of the serpent all the descendants of Adam are drawn to destruction. I have come to help the weak, the Mighty to the powerless, the All-Righteous to the sinners, I have come to take upon Myself the sins of the world, to accept these infirmities, to bear these sicknesses. I have come to heal this scab, to heal, to renew, to revive mankind that believes in Me, I have come to oppose the fisher of men to perdition, the devil, Myself, the Fisher of eternal life, and the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, co-essential with the Father and Me; to oppose the hordes of demons with a host of Apostles and their successors, and all My faithful. Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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