Homily by Fr. Sviatoslav Pastushchak on the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

How often do our nets come back empty, without achieving what we had hoped for, leaving us disappointed because things have turned out completely differently from what we expected? This is exactly what happened to the apostles in today’s Gospel.

Yet Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Put out into the deep.” It is an invitation to try again, to put greater effort and dedication into what we are doing, and to invite Jesus to be present in our lives, our plans and our actions.

The difference between an unsuccessful night of fishing and the miraculous abundant catch was the presence of Jesus and the power of His word. Christ was teaching His disciples that they must trust Him even when it seemed like a waste of time, even when what He asked seemed unreasonable, and even when they thought they knew better.

Success in our lives depends not only on our own efforts, but also on God’s grace and His blessing. We should therefore never exclude Jesus from our homes, our families, our work, our studies or our plans for the future. Everything should be offered to Him and opened to His blessing and grace. We should seek God and strive to encounter Him in prayer.

We often become so attached to different things that we no longer have time for prayer, for participation in the Divine Liturgy or for Confession. If we live this way, we cannot expect God’s grace to touch our lives. We need to invite Jesus into the boat of our life, even when we feel exhausted and discouraged by failure. So much depends on our willingness to invite Him in.

God has countless ways of entering our lives. Often this happens through a personal encounter with Him, through a particular grace we receive, or through the trials and suffering we experience in life. Our personal weaknesses are not a reason to refuse God’s call, because it is God’s own grace that works within us. Christ does not save us so that we can remain idle. He frees us from sin and calls us to share in His mission. Every Christian is called to become a fisher of people. Our talents, our professions and all the other resources we have should be seen as instruments for spreading the Good News. Jesus calls each one of us not to hide away, but to live the Christian life fully and to proclaim it through our example, our values and our words — all those things that give our lives meaning and fullness.

This Gospel passage also helps us to understand what vocation means. God calls ordinary people to extraordinary service. The Lord does not look for perfect people. He calls ordinary people and makes them capable of great service. Peter’s awareness of his own sinfulness becomes the first step on the path towards his future ministry. Being a disciple of Christ is not about being perfect or possessing special merits. It is about having the courage to trust Him and being ready to give ourselves completely each day, knowing that His grace sustains us and guides us.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember that the Lord sees our weariness and our moments of disappointment. Let us not be afraid to make room for Him in the boat of our life. Let us trust Him, sincerely repent and acknowledge our need for His grace, because it is then that a true encounter with Him begins. Let us make the courageous decision to follow Christ with hearts that are devoted to Him and burning with love. In the Eucharist, the Lord Himself unites Himself with us, strengthening us on this journey so that we may become His light and His love for every person we meet along the way.

Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ!

See also

June 27 Priesthood ordination of Deacon Sviatoslav Pastushchak