I am the only girl in my immediate family. I am also the oldest and have two younger brothers and was often jealous of the bond my brothers had. They had each other to play with and would ditch me to do typical boy things like play sports or video games or cars when they were younger. I dreamed of the day I’d have my own kids and wished for a daughter, of course I ended up having a son, who I love beyond measure. In thinking about our next child, my prayer is that we are blessed with another boy so we can give my son a brother. I didn’t think that would be my desire, but I’ve seen the power of the brotherly bond in my own family, and we also see it in today’s gospel.
Fishers of Men
“As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.”
Journey Together
Jesus chose to call these brothers together, not one without the other. They had spent many of their days fishing together, having conversations about all kinds of things. I can’t imagine the way their bond grew once they stopped conversations about fishing and started having conversations about Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus doesn’t want us to journey alone. When you read stories about the Saints, they often come in pairs. Why? Because the journey is hard and we need one another, grounded in faith, to help each other strive for Heaven. Jesus called the brothers to be “fishers of men” – to preach the gospel and bring as many men and women along with them in the journey to the Christ’s eternal glory.
How can you be a “fisher of men” in your own life?
[Readings: Is 8:23—9:3; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17]
