Inspired by the account of the call of Saint Peter, here are some thoughts that might help us to rediscover the joy of living our lives with Jesus by our sides.
During my years in undergraduate studies, I chose to be part of the University choir. Every Monday evening, we would practice for three hours, and once or twice a year, we would put on a concert for other students and residents in the local city. I remember the first night that I arrived for practice. They handed me the music and sat me in the tenor section. The conductor pointed at the pianist who played a chord and we were off. There was no time spent teaching us the parts: that was our own responsibility. Inevitably, we would sing a bit and then we would be stopped. The conductor would point out something that needed to be done differently and then he would say: Now, let’s start again ... and we would return to the point from which we had started. I don’t remember how many times we repeated the music, but I know that at some points, we grew exasperated when he asked us to repeat the musical phrase yet again ... until we had almost memorized the music.
I have often wondered whether Simon felt exasperated when Jesus said to him: Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch (Lk 5:4). Simon, James and John were fishermen. They had worked all night long, but they had caught nothing (cf Lk 5:5), yet when Jesus asked them to let down their nets yet again, they agreed, and the outcome was remarkable: they caught so much fish that their nets were beginning to break (Lk 5:6).
Like the conductor standing in front of that choir, Jesus asks us to practice our lines. The specific tasks he asks us to perform are not difficult in and of themselves, but the fact that he asks us to repeat the same tasks, even if we don’t perceive any effect, can leave us frustrated. Some of us pray the same words day after day, year after year and we don’t see anything change. Some of us speak kindly to others and still it seems that we are ignored ... and how many times have we messed something up and said sorry, then tried to change and we end up messing up again? The good thing is that no matter how many times we mess up, our God is always willing to give us another chance.
Jesus never asks us to do something that we cannot do, but he will often ask us to practice virtue over and over, no matter how many times we mess up ... until we get it right. When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man (Lk 5:8). Like Simon, and like Isaiah, when we witness the great goodness of our God, we too can sometimes respond by saying: Woe is me (Is 6:5) or Go away from me Lord because we are made aware of our own unworthiness, yet God does not judge our unworthiness; God loves us for who we are.
It was because of God’s love for his people that Christ died for our sins ... that he was buried, and that we was raised on the third day ... (1 Cor 15:3-4). What we are called to do every day is to practice following in his footsteps. We must continue to pray day after day, even if we don’t see the results right away; we must continue to speak kindly to others, even if they might ignore us; and every time we fall down, we must get up again, say sorry, dust ourselves off and try again. Eventually, we’ll get it right.
Do it again
During my years in undergraduate studies, I chose to be part of the University choir. Every Monday evening, we would practice for three hours, and once or twice a year, we would put on a concert for other students and residents in the local city. I remember the first night that I arrived for practice. They handed me the music and sat me in the tenor section. The conductor pointed at the pianist who played a chord and we were off. There was no time spent teaching us the parts: that was our own responsibility. Inevitably, we would sing a bit and then we would be stopped. The conductor would point out something that needed to be done differently and then he would say: Now, let’s start again ... and we would return to the point from which we had started. I don’t remember how many times we repeated the music, but I know that at some points, we grew exasperated when he asked us to repeat the musical phrase yet again ... until we had almost memorized the music.
I have often wondered whether Simon felt exasperated when Jesus said to him: Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch (Lk 5:4). Simon, James and John were fishermen. They had worked all night long, but they had caught nothing (cf Lk 5:5), yet when Jesus asked them to let down their nets yet again, they agreed, and the outcome was remarkable: they caught so much fish that their nets were beginning to break (Lk 5:6).
Like the conductor standing in front of that choir, Jesus asks us to practice our lines. The specific tasks he asks us to perform are not difficult in and of themselves, but the fact that he asks us to repeat the same tasks, even if we don’t perceive any effect, can leave us frustrated. Some of us pray the same words day after day, year after year and we don’t see anything change. Some of us speak kindly to others and still it seems that we are ignored ... and how many times have we messed something up and said sorry, then tried to change and we end up messing up again? The good thing is that no matter how many times we mess up, our God is always willing to give us another chance.
Jesus never asks us to do something that we cannot do, but he will often ask us to practice virtue over and over, no matter how many times we mess up ... until we get it right. When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man (Lk 5:8). Like Simon, and like Isaiah, when we witness the great goodness of our God, we too can sometimes respond by saying: Woe is me (Is 6:5) or Go away from me Lord because we are made aware of our own unworthiness, yet God does not judge our unworthiness; God loves us for who we are.
It was because of God’s love for his people that Christ died for our sins ... that he was buried, and that we was raised on the third day ... (1 Cor 15:3-4). What we are called to do every day is to practice following in his footsteps. We must continue to pray day after day, even if we don’t see the results right away; we must continue to speak kindly to others, even if they might ignore us; and every time we fall down, we must get up again, say sorry, dust ourselves off and try again. Eventually, we’ll get it right.
Refais-le
Au cours de mes années d'études de premier cycle, j'ai choisi de faire partie de la chorale de l'université. Chaque lundi soir, nous pratiquions pendant trois heures, et une ou deux fois par année, nous organisions un concert pour les autres étudiants et les résidents de la ville. Je me souviens de la première nuit où je suis arrivé pour la répétition. On m’a tendu la musique et m'a assis dans la section ténor. Le chef d'orchestre a pointé le pianiste qui a joué un accord et nous étions partis. Nous n'avons pas passé de temps à apprendre les partitions: c'était notre propre responsabilité. Inévitablement, nous chanterions un peu et ensuite nous serions arrêtés. Le chef d'orchestre indiquait quelque chose qui devait être fait différemment, puis il disait: Maintenant, recommençons ... et nous reviendrions au point de départ. Je ne me souviens pas combien de fois nous avons répété la musique, mais je sais qu’à certains moments, nous avons été exaspérés quand il nous a demandé de répéter la phrase musicale… jusqu’à ce que nous ayons presque mémorisé la pièce de musique.
Je me suis souvent demandé si Simon était exaspéré quand Jésus lui a dit: Avance au large et jetez vos filets pour la pêche (Lc 5,4). Simon, Jacques et Jean étaient des pêcheurs. Ils avaient peiné toute la nuit sans rien prendre (cf Lc 5,5). Pourtant, quand Jésus leur a demandé de jeter leurs filets, ils ont accepté et le résultat était remarquable: ils capturèrent une telle quantité de poissons que leurs filets allaient se déchirer (Lc 5,6).
Comme le chef d'orchestre qui se tenait devant cette chorale, Jésus nous demande de nous préparer pour le concert. Les tâches spécifiques qu’il nous demande d’accomplir ne sont pas difficiles en soi, mais le fait qu’il nous demande de répéter les mêmes tâches, même si nous ne percevons aucun effet, peut nous frustrer. Certains d’entre nous répètent les mêmes prières jour après jour, année après année et ne perçoivent aucun changement. Certains d'entre nous parlent gentiment aux autres et pourtant il semble qu’ils sont ignorés ... et combien de fois avons-nous foiré quelque chose et avons-nous été désolés, puis nous avons essayé de changer et nous finissons par perdre à nouveau? La bonne nouvelle c’est que peu importe le nombre de fois où nous échouons, notre Dieu est toujours disposé à nous accorder un autre essai.
Jésus ne nous demande jamais de faire quelque chose que nous ne pouvons pas faire, mais il nous demande souvent de pratiquer une vertu encore une fois, peu importe le nombre de fois où nous échouons ... jusqu'à ce que nous ayons bien fait. Quand Simon Pierre vit la prise miraculeuse de poisson, il tomba aux genoux de Jésus en disant: Eloigne-toi de moi, Seigneur, car je suis un homme pécheur (Lc 5,8). Comme Simon et comme Isaïe, lorsque nous sommes témoins de la grande bonté du Seigneur, nous pouvons aussi parfois répondre en disant: Malheur à moi (Is 6,5) ou Eloigne-toi de moi Seigneur parce que nous sommes conscients de notre indignité. Cependant, le Seigneur ne juge pas notre indignité; Il nous aime, point.
C’est par l’amour que notre Seigneur a pour son peuple que le Christ est mort pour nos péchés… qu’il fut mis au tombeau et il est ressuscité le troisième jour… (1 Cor 15: 3-4). Ce que nous sommes appelés à faire de jour en jour c’est d’apprendre à suivre ses traces. Nous devons continuer à prier jour après jour, même si nous ne voyons pas les résultats tout de suite; nous devons continuer à parler gentiment aux autres, même s'ils peuvent nous ignorer; et chaque fois que nous tombons, nous devons nous relever, nous pardonner, nous dépoussiérer et essayer à nouveau. Un jour enfin, nous réussirons.
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