First Reading (Isaiah 6,1-2a.3-8).
Reading the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne of great height; his cloak spread throughout the temple. There were seraphim standing at his side; each had six wings. They exclaimed to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the cry of these voices, the doors began to shake on their hinges and the temple filled with smoke. I said then: ‘Woe is me, I am lost! I am only a man with unclean lips, but I have seen with my eyes the king, the Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal, which he had taken from the altar with tongs, and touched my mouth , saying: “As soon as this touched your lips, your guilt disappeared, and your sin is forgiven.” I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” I replied, “Here I am! Send it to me.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Second Reading (1Cor 15,1-11).
Reading of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
I want to remind you, brothers, of the gospel that I preached to you and that you received, and in which you stand. By him you are saved, if you are keeping him as he was preached to you by me. Otherwise, you would have embraced faith in vain. Indeed, I handed on to you first of all what I myself had received, namely, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; who was buried; who, on the third day, rose again, according to the Scriptures; and who appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. Later, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once. Of these, the majority are still alive and some have died. Then he appeared to James and then he appeared to the apostles all together. Finally, he also appeared to me, as to an abortifacient. In fact, I am the least of the apostles, I do not even deserve the name of apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. It is by the grace of God that I am what I am. His grace towards me was not sterile: the proof is that I have worked more than the other apostles – not exactly me, but God’s grace with me. That is, in short, what they and I have preached and that is what you believe.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Luke 5,1-11).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus was on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, and the crowd was crowding around him to hear the word of God. Jesus saw two boats stopped on the shore of the lake. The fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Climbing into one of the boats, which belonged to Simão, he asked him to move a little away from the bank. Then he sat down and, from the boat, taught the crowds. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Go into deeper waters, and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon replied: “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing. But, in keeping with your word, I will let down the nets.” They did so, and caught such a quantity of fish that the nets broke. Then they signaled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled the two boats to the point that they almost sank. When Simon Peter saw this, he threw himself at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinner!” The astonishment had taken over Simão and all his companions, because of the fishing they had just done. James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon, were also amazed. But Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid! From this day forward you will be a fisher of men.” So they took the boats to shore, left everything and followed Jesus.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may the peace of the Lord be with you all. Today, the readings that the liturgy presents to us are a direct and profound invitation to discern our calling and live the mission that God entrusts to us. They challenge us to leave our comfort zone and delve into the depth of the mystery of God, allowing Him to transform our smallness into an instrument of His greatness.
Let us begin with the glorious vision of the prophet Isaiah. He transports us to the Temple of Jerusalem, where he contemplates the majesty of God seated on His elevated throne. The room is filled with the singing of the seraphim: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory!” Faced with this vision, Isaiah does not feel pride or presumption; on the contrary, he feels his smallness and unworthiness: “Woe is me! I am lost! I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Isaiah teaches us a profound lesson about encountering God: when we are truly confronted with His holiness, our flaws and imperfections become clear. Just as light reveals every stain on a glass, God’s glory exposes our weaknesses, not to condemn us, but to purify us. God sends a seraphim who touches Isaiah’s lips with a live coal, purifying him and preparing him for the mission. Faced with God’s call – “Whom will I send?” – Isaiah responds with courage and humility: “Here I am, send me!”
Now, let’s go to the second reading, where Saint Paul writes to the Corinthians, recalling the core of the Christian message: the Gospel of the Resurrection. Paul speaks of Christ who died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day, appearing to many, including him, who considers himself “the least of the apostles”. Here, once again, we find the dynamics of God’s grace. Paul, a persecutor of the Church, is transformed by divine mercy and sent as an apostle to the nations. He recognizes that “by the grace of God I am what I am, and the grace He gave me was not useless.”
Just as Isaiah was purified by a live coal, Paul was transformed by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus. Both show us that God does not choose the capable, but empowers the chosen. He does not seek perfection, but availability. God’s grace not only transforms us, but empowers us for the mission He entrusts to us.
Finally, in Luke’s gospel, we find the narrative of the miraculous catch, one of the most beautiful and emblematic moments in the life of Jesus. Pedro and his companions spent the whole night fishing without success. They were tired, frustrated, perhaps even doubting their own ability. But then Jesus enters Peter’s boat. He transforms that common boat – an instrument of work – into a pulpit to announce the Kingdom of God.
After preaching, Jesus makes an unusual request: “Advance into deeper waters and let down your nets for fishing.” Think for a moment about what Pedro felt. He was an experienced fisherman; I knew that this was not the ideal time to fish. You may have thought, “Who is this carpenter to tell me how to fish?” But, in an act of faith and obedience, he responds: “Master, we have worked all night and caught nothing, but in keeping with your word I will let down the nets.”
The result was such abundant fishing that the nets began to break. Peter, astonished, falls to his knees before Jesus and says, “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinner!” Like Isaiah and Paul, Peter recognizes his unworthiness before the holiness and power of God. But Jesus does not push him away; on the contrary, He calls you to an even greater mission: “Do not be afraid! From this day forward, you will be a fisher of men.”
These three readings are linked by a common theme: the call and response to the Lord. They show us that the encounter with God transforms us profoundly. No matter how unworthy, flawed, or limited we may feel, God invites us to participate in His work of salvation. He sees beyond our weaknesses and empowers us with His grace.
But what does this mean for us, here and now? First, we are invited to recognize the presence of God in our everyday lives. Just like Isaiah in the temple, Paul on the road to Damascus and Peter on the boat, we need to be attentive to the moments in which God reveals himself to us, whether in the silence of prayer, in encounters with others or in the challenges we face.
Secondly, we need to respond to God’s call with courage and faith. Perhaps God is asking us to “press into deeper waters” in some aspect of our lives. It can be in reconciliation with someone, in commitment to a work of charity, or in more intense dedication to prayer and the study of the Word. It is normal to feel fear or insecurity in the face of this call, but let us remember Jesus’ words to Peter: “Do not be afraid.”
Finally, we are called to be “fishers of men”, proclaiming the Gospel with our words and actions. Let us think of our life testimony as a network. If we live with authenticity, love, and integrity, we will be able to draw others to Christ, just as Peter and the other apostles did.
A metaphor that can help us is that of the clay pot. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul writes: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power comes from God and not from us.” We are like fragile vessels, but God chooses to deposit the treasure of His grace in us and uses us as instruments of His work.
Today, let us ask God for the courage to respond like Isaiah: “Here I am, send me!” May we, like Paul, allow ourselves to be transformed by God’s grace and, like Peter, obey Jesus’ call to let down the nets, even when everything seems meaningless.
We close with a prayer:
“Lord, You know us completely. You know our weaknesses, our fears and our limitations. Yet, You call us to be Your disciples. Give us the courage to say ‘yes’ to Your call. Purify us, strengthen us and make us instruments of Your peace. May our lives be a response to Your love, for the glory of Your name.
May we leave here today determined to move on to deeper waters, trusting in the Word of God and living our faith with courage and generosity. Amen.
