✝️REFLECTION CAPSULE – April 05, 2024: Friday
“Putting to effect all our abilities, and being focussed on our Crucified Lord to be single-minded in our love for the Lord!”
(Based on Acts 4:1-12 and Jn 21:1-14 - Friday in the Octave of Easter)
Every person's life consists of various strengths, talents, abilities and aptitudes.
These strengths and talents help a person to achieve triumphs in life.
These abilities and aptitudes push the person to climb up higher the ladder of success
However, it is said that "one's greatest strength can also be the reason for one's greatest fall!"
Sometimes strengths and abilities themselves can become….
… the reason for great depressions in life
… the gateway to a person to being tempted into false ways
… the entrance for a person to abandon one's true calling and vocation of life
The Gospel of the Day is a strong picturisation of this aspect with the person of Peter, the prime Apostle of Jesus, in focus.
We are on the last chapter of the Gospel of St John - Chapter Twenty One.
The chapter describes another post-Resurrectional account of the appearance of Jesus.
The disciples, have been greatly disturbed and devastated by the death of their Master, Jesus.
Perhaps, all their hopes were crashed…all their aspirations had sunk.
Then, Peter, perhaps filled with greater sorrow than others, makes an important statement, "I am going fishing" (Jn 21:3)
He would have been more sorrowful because the Lord had always accorded a special attention to him…
… Yet, he was the one who had primarily and publicly denied his Master.
And so he takes another lead… this time however, away from the Lord… "to go fishing"
In Mt 4:19, we read that Peter had received the glorious vocation of following the Lord…
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"
This was the vocation of Peter…
… to follow Jesus closely and personally and intimately
… to be a fisher of people, for the Kingdom of God.
But when faced with the greatest crisis of his life, he sought comfort and refuge, in what was probably, humanly speaking, his greatest strength - fishing!
All through his life, Peter was probably living close to the sea.
He knew the depths and the breadth of the waters.
Fishing was his great strength
Fishing was his big asset.
However, at the call of the Lord, Peter had given up this "earthly" asset and strength to embark through "newer" waters of life with the "Great Fisherman of Galilee"
The Lord had given him a "higher" vocation - to become fishers of people.
But now Peter, dejected and depressed, "leaves" this Divine vocation and goes back to his earthly strength and livelihood - fishing.
His strength and ability of fishing had become….
… the reason for great depressions in his spiritual life
… the gateway to being tempted into false ways, leaving the way of the Lord
… the entrance for him, to abandon his true calling and vocation of life of being fishers of people
"One's greatest strength can also be the reason for one's greatest fall!"
But once again, the Lord comes to the rescue…
He had called Peter, for the first time, by the Sea of Galilee… by a miraculous catch of fish (Lk 5: 1-11)
He now again calls Peter, by the Sea of Galilee - by a miraculous catch of fish
… calls him to renew his commitment and love for the Lord
… calls him to go back to his vocation and give up his life for him
… calls him to leave his "earthly strength" of fishing, and to depend totally on the Lord!
The danger that Peter faced in his life can be a danger for us too…
Our greatest strength can also be the reason for our greatest fall!
What is the greatest strength of our lives?
Money? Prestige? Talents? Abilities? Self-Confidence?
Sometimes we find, that the very talents and abilities…
… by which we are able to do the works, of the Lord, may themselves, become great snares of temptations
We, therefore, need to be on the watch always - be on the guard at all times!
Sure, that it is the Lord Himself who has blessed us with various talents.
But all our capabilities, needs to find its source, strength and continuity, in and by the Lord.
On this First Friday of the month, let us turn our lives to the Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord!
Let us put to effect all the abilities that the good Lord has blessed us with, for His Kingdom…
… and may we always be focussed on our Crucified Lord to be single-minded in our love for the Lord.
Happy Easter to all of you!
God Bless! Live Jesus!