***
There are now over 644,000 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the U.S.
It’s a staggering number. Our healthcare system is nearly tearing at the seams.
But what’s even more incredible is the fact that no one is apparently turned away. If someone is in serious or critical condition, that person is treated.
Doctors and nurses aren’t discriminating against their patients. Somehow, they make room for everyone.
***
In the Gospel, the disciples have gone fishing, a sign they’re returning to their former way of life. It was a place of comfort, their trade before meeting Jesus.
Although they’re professionals, they don’t make a single catch. When the Risen Lord appears, however, he commands them to cast their nets again.
Suddenly, they’re stuffed; filled with 153 large fish.
Why 153? Why not 150 or 160 fish? Why even count them at all?
Some scholars say the number was symbolic. For example, it was believed that 153 different types of fish swam in the Sea of Galilee.
Their nets were large enough to catch them all.
***
The nets themselves are also symbolic.
They represent the Church. Meaning, the Church should make room for everyone. It will not tear at the seams.
Just as no one is turned away from a hospital if that person is in serious or critical condition, so no person should be turned away from the Church.
Even the greatest of sinners.
“For I did not come to call the righteous,” Jesus says, “but sinners.” We can welcome everyone. The nets of the Church will not break.
So how can we extend our nets a little deeper into society?
***
That’s a question that’s often discussed on a macro-level, because it has moral and theological implications.
But it’s also a question we answer ourselves. How can I cast my net deeper into my home?
How can I be more welcoming in my workplace, in my community, and in my parish?
It boils down to how we treat one another, whether or not we accept people for who they are. That’s the groundwork.
So is my first impression of others driven by judgment? Must they meet a set of preconditions to be accepted? Or do I love others for simply being human like me?
As our relationships build, we encourage one another to become holier, happier people.
It’s what Jesus himself did. He never wagged his finger at the sinful or the weak. He loved them and encouraged them to be better.
But he always led by example.
“Love one another the way that I have loved you,” he says.
Our hearts – and our Church – can be big enough to welcome everyone, much like our hospitals who are welcoming everyone in need.
The Lord assures us we’ll never tear at the seams.
It’s simply a matter of being open to the Spirit, who expands our hearts.
