Simon Peter, the fisherman, is the first to be called personally
by Jesus in Luke's Gospel.
His calling resembles Isaiah's commissioning in the First Reading:
confronted with the holiness of the Lord, both Peter and Isaiah
are overwhelmed by a sense of their own sinfulness and inadequacy.
Yet each experiences the Lord's forgiveness and is sent to preach
the good news of His mercy to the world.
No one is "fit to be called an apostle," Paul recognizes
in today's Epistle. But by "the grace of God," even
a persecutor of the Churchas Paul once wascan be
lifted up for the Lord's service.
In the Old Testament, humanity was unfit for the divineno
man could stand in God's presence and live (see Exodus 33:20).
But in Jesus, we're made able to speak with Him face-to-face,
to taste His Word on our tongue.
Today's scene from Isaiah is recalled in every Mass. Before
reading the Gospel, the priest silently asks God to cleanse
his lips that he might worthily proclaim His Word.
God's Word comes to us as it came to Peter, Paul, Isaiah, and
today's Psalmistas a personal call to leave everything
and follow Him, to surrender our weaknesses in order to be filled
with His strength.
Simon put out into deep waters even though, as a professional
fisherman, he knew it would be fool-hardy to expect to catch
anything. In humbling himself before the Lord's command, he
was exaltedhis nets filled to overflowing. Later, as Paul
tells us, he will become the first to see the risen Lord.
Jesus has made us worthy to receive Him in the company of angels
in God's holy Temple. On our knees like Peter, with the humility
of David in today's Psalm, we thank Him with all our hearts
and join in the unending hymn that Isaiah heard around God's
altar: "Holy, holy, holy . . ." (see also Revelation
4:8).