Fr Antonio Pineda
Assistant Parish Priest

The readings this Sunday are about call and commitment, especially the Gospel. Jesus approached a group of fishermen and convinced them to follow Him. They left everything – their work, nets, boats, families – to follow Jesus. From being fishermen, they became fishers of men. A radical and total commitment.

Jesus makes the same call to become fishers of men today. It is not a call addressed only to priests and bishops but to every man and woman. Each one of us is commissioned to a ministry of love and justice by virtue of our baptism. It is stated in Lumen Gentium, a Vatican II document, that:

“The faithful who by baptism are incorporated into Christ’s Body and are placed in the people of God and in their own way share the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ and to the best of their ability carry on the mission of the whole Christian people in the church and in the world.”

Will you be a fisher of men? To say “Yes” is only the beginning. We need to follow this answer with actions, not just today but also tomorrow and the day after that. Our ministry of love and justice is a full-time one and not part time. We are called to spread love and justice not just when it’s easy and convenient but also when it is painful to do so. In suffering we are made perfect, just as Jesus’ suffering on the Cross made our redemption possible.