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Gospel: Matthew 4: 12-23
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Falling in love turns your world upside down, doesn’t it?
All of a sudden, someone else holds tremendous influence, even power, over you. Everything about that person is enchanting. The way they walk, the way they talk, why they like one thing but not another.
There’s an innocence to it all.
Sometimes that love leads to marriage.
But your wedding day is only the beginning. There are years, if not decades, of commitment ahead, including highs and lows, bursts of excitement and moments of disappointment.
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The same is true in our journey of faith.
We don’t fully commit ourselves to the Lord overnight; it takes a lifetime to love and fully surrender our lives to Jesus.
Consider four moments in the life of Saint Peter.
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In today’s Gospel, Peter receives the call. Jesus, this miraculous healer, invites him to become his disciple. So, he drops his nets and follows Jesus.
Maybe that’s some of us – we’re either new to the faith or have experienced a re-awakening. We’re eager to drop our nets and follow the Lord knowing this is just the beginning. There may be years, if not decades, ahead.
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Shortly after dropping his nets by the sea, Peter sinks into the very same waters.
Do you remember what happens the first night that he and the other disciples are without Jesus?
They are crossing the Sea of Galilee, when suddenly a large storm materializes, nearly toppling their boat!
When Jesus finally comes to their rescue, he invites Peter to step out onto the water. As soon as his feet touch the waves, Peter starts sinking, crying out, “Master, do you not care that we’re drowning?”
This may be the first time Peter’s faith is tested.
Maybe that’s some of us. We’ve dropped our nets and have chosen to follow the Lord, but now feel caught in the middle of a storm, crying out, “Master, do you not care that I’m drowning?”
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After calming the storm, Jesus challenges his disciples by asking, “Who do you say that I am?”
All remain silent, except Peter, who pipes up: “You are the Christ! The Son of the living God!” He’s seen enough and is convinced, Jesus is Lord.
Maybe that’s some of us. We’ve survived a storm or two. Our doubt has given way to stronger faith. Humbly, we sing of “amazing grace.”
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Still, the same Peter who cries out, “You are the Christ!” will soon deny ever knowing Jesus.
On the last night of his life on earth, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, then arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Peter, curious to know what will happen, follows Jesus at a distance. As Jesus is led into the high priest’s court to stand trial, Peter remains outside the gates warming his hands by a fire.
Maybe that’s some of us. We’ve dropped our nets to follow Jesus, but we’re following at a comfortable distance.
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Peter’s path sounds like the story of four different men. The fisherman who drops his nets by the Sea of Galilee later sinks into the very same waters.
The person who proclaims that Jesus is Lord later denies ever knowing him, fearing that being associated with Jesus will cost him his life.
And, eventually, it does.
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Yes, Peter dies like his Master, nailed to a cross.
Feeling unworthy of leaving this world as Jesus did, he asks his executioners for one final wish: to turn him upside down.
There, in the heart of Rome – in the center of worldly power – Peter finally sees the world like a man in love – upside down, right side up.
Those feet that once sank into the stormy Sea of Galilee now face the heavens. His hands, once warmed by a fire, are thrown open in surrender.
After years of stumbling, sinking, and standing back up, Peter loves Jesus with all of his heart, mind, soul, and body.
Such faith took a lifetime for him to develop. But that’s all that mattered in the end: Peter loved his Lord.
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Where am I on my journey of faith?
Am I’m ready to drop my nets? Am I sinking into stormy waters? Am I’m following the Lord at a comfortable distance?
Am I in love?
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No matter where we are on the journey, our vision statement reminds us that we are, “All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”
Saint Peter pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Saint Peter, Peter Paul Rubens (2) Christ Appearing to Peter on Via Appia, Caracci (3) Crucifixion of Saint Peter, Caravaggio