Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 9, 2025 — Year C
Readings: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 / Ps 138 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Lk 5:1-11
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Have you ever felt unworthy of a task?  Too weak, too sinful to be used by God?  Today’s readings tell us that God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  He chooses ordinary, flawed individuals and transforms them into instruments of His divine mission.  Isaiah, Paul, and Peter each experience an encounter with God that reveals their inadequacy.  Yet, they respond with faith and willingness.  Today’s readings tell us about answering God’s call in spite of our unworthiness.

In our first reading, Isaiah has a powerful vision of God’s glory, where the angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts!”  (Is 6:3) In the presence of God’s holiness, Isaiah immediately feels unworthy.  “Woe is me; I am doomed. For I am a man of unclean lips….” (Is 6:5) God, however, purifies him with a burning coal, symbolizing transformation.  Once purified, Isaiah hears God’s call: “Whom shall I send?”  He responds, “Here I am…send me!”  (Is 6:8) Isaiah’s response teaches us that acknowledging our weakness is the first step to being open to God’s grace.  Despite our imperfections, God purifies us and calls us to serve.

St. Paul, in the second reading, reflects on the core of the gospel: Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  He humbly acknowledges his past as a persecutor of Christians, calling himself “the least of the apostles.”  (1 Cor 15:9)  Yet he declares, “But by the grace of God I am what I am,” recognizing that his transformation is solely due to God’s mercy.  Paul’s story mirrors Isaiah’s.  He, too, felt unworthy, but God’s grace made him a powerful instrument of evangelization.  His experience reminds us that our past does not define us.  God’s grace does.

In today’s gospel, we witness a profound moment of encounter between Jesus and St. Peter.  After a long and fruitless night of fishing, Peter and his companions are exhausted.  Their efforts have yielded nothing.  Yet when Jesus tells Peter to put out into deep water and lower the nets, Peter obeys, despite his doubts.  The result is astonishing:  a miraculous catch of fish so great that their nets begin to tear.  Overwhelmed, Peter falls to his knees saying, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”  Instead of rejecting him, Jesus reassures Peter and calls him to a greater mission.  “From now on you will be catching men.”  (Lk 5:10)   The disciples leave everything and follow Jesus.  Like Isaiah and Paul, Peter is keenly aware of his unworthiness, but Jesus does not see him as he is.  He sees what he can become.

Peter’s response challenges us.  Do we trust Jesus enough to leave behind our fears and follow Him?  Peter had every reason to doubt.  He was an experienced fisherman and the conditions had not changed.  Yet, despite this human reasoning, he obeyed Jesus’ command.  This act of faith reminds us that when we trust in the Lord, even when His ways seem beyond our understanding, He can accomplish great things in our lives.

How often do we, like Peter, feel exhausted, discouraged, or convinced that our efforts are in vain?  Jesus calls us to deeper faith, to trust Him even when our experience tells us otherwise.

Peter’s reaction to the miraculous catch is striking.  Instead of pride, he is filled with humility and recognizes his unworthiness before the Lord.  This moment mirrors many encounters in scripture:  Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory (Is 6:1-8) and Paul’s conversion (1 Cor 15:1-11).  When we truly encounter Christ, we recognize our own sinfulness, but Jesus does not leave us there.  He calls us forward, not in fear, but in mission.

All three of today’s readings share a common theme:  a personal encounter with God leads to humility, transformation, and mission.  Isaiah, Paul, and Peter all feel unworthy, but God calls them anyway.  Their stories highlight the power of divine grace, showing that when God calls, He also equips.

The Church teaches that every baptized Christian is called to holiness and mission, regardless of personal weakness.  It is grace that enables us to fulfill God’s call.  Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit Who justifies and sanctifies us.  Jesus transforms Peter’s identity.  He’s no longer just a fisherman.  He is now called to bring others to Christ.  This call extends to all of us.  As baptized Christians, we are called to evangelize, to share our faith and lead others to Jesus.  We may feel unworthy, unqualified, or fearful, but Jesus reassures us, “Do not be afraid.”

Peter and his companions leave behind their boat, their nets, and their old way of life.  Following Jesus requires sacrifice, but what we gain is far greater than what we leave behind.  The invitation to discipleship is a call to trust, to let go of attachments, and to surrender our lives to Christ.

St. Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor, once said, “God does not require that we be successful, only that we be faithful.”  This echoes today’s gospel.  Peter did not need to be a perfect fisherman.  He just needed to trust Jesus.  Likewise, we may not always see immediate success in our mission, but God asks us to remain faithful.

Many of us hesitate to serve because we feel unworthy.  Like Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, we must remember that God’s grace is greater than our weaknesses, so that we can overcome those feelings of unworthiness.  Let us also trust in God’s plan.  When Peter obeyed Jesus, he witnessed a miracle.  When we trust in God, even when it seems illogical, He works in ways we cannot imagine.

We may not be aware of it, but in our daily lives, God is always calling us to help the needy, share our faith, or forgive someone.  Instead of saying, “I am not ready,” let’s say, “Here I am, Lord.”  Let’s say yes to God’s call.  The world measures success in achievements.  God measures it in faithfulness.  We are called to serve even if we do not see immediate results.

Today’s readings remind us that God’s call is not based on our worthiness, but on His grace.  Like Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, we are called to trust Him, respond with faith and follow where He leads.  May we too, say with Isaiah, “Here I am Lord.  Send me.”  Let’s go forth knowing that God does not call the perfect.  He perfects those He calls.