Vatican City, 7 February 2016 (VIS) –
The logic that guides the mission of Jesus and the mission of the
Church is that of 'fishing', of going out in search of men and women,
not our of proselytism but rather to restore full dignity and freedom
through the forgiveness of sins, explained the Pope during today's
Angelus, commenting on the day's reading from the Gospel of St. Luke
which narrates the call of Jesus' first disciples. On the shore of
the Sea of Galilee, Simon Peter and his companions were washing their
nets after a night's fishing without catching anything. Jesus gets
into one of the boats and begins to preach the word of God to the
multitude gathered on the banks. He then tells them to take the boat
out to see and to cast their nets, and although Simon Peter reminds
Him that they had toiled all night in vain, he obeys, faithful to
Christ.
"And his faith did not let him
down; indeed, the nets were filled with such a quantity of fish that
they almost tore", added Francis. "Before this
extraordinary event, the fisherman were overcome with wonder. Simon
Peter fell at Jesus' feet and said, 'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man'. This miraculous sign convinced him that Jesus was not
only a great teacher, Whose word is true and powerful, but that He is
the Lord, the manifestation of God. And this presence, so close to
him, inspires in Peter a strong sense of his own pettiness and
unworthiness. From a human point of view, one would think there
should be distance between the sinner and the saint. In truth, it is
precisely his sinful condition that requires the Lord to not distance
himself from him, the same way a doctor cannot turn away from the
sick".
Jesus’ response to Simon Peter is
"reassuring and decisive: 'Do not be afraid; from now on you
will be catching men'. Again, the fisherman from Galilee, placing his
trust in this word, leaves everything and follows Him, He Who has
become his Master and Lord. James and John, companions of Simon
Peter, do likewise. This is the logic that drives the mission of
Jesus and the mission of the Church: to seek out, to 'fish' for men
and women, to return full dignity and freedom to all, through the
forgiveness of sins. This is the essence of Christianity: to spread
the regenerating and gratuitous love of God, with an attitude of
acceptance and mercy to everyone, so that everyone can encounter
God's tenderness and achieve a full life. Here, in a particular way,
I think of confessors: they are the first to give the mercy of the
Father, following the example of Jesus, just as the two saints, Fr.
Leopold and Padre Pio, did.
"Today’s Gospel asks us: do we
really trust the Word of the Lord? Or do we let ourselves be
discouraged by our failures? In this Holy Year of Mercy, we are
called to comfort those who feel they are sinners and unworthy and
downhearted for their mistakes, repeatin Jesus' words to them: 'Fear
not'. The mercy of the Father is greater than your sins. It is
greater, do not be afraid".
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