Our Fishing Trip

Galilee is a region located in northern Israel. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Golan Heights, which once belonged to present day Syria. 

A Simple Folk

In the first century, inhabitants of Galilee were mostly peasants who lived in poverty. They were a peaceful folk whose lives were difficult due to the taxes and labor forced upon them by the Romans. The Sea of Galilee was a source of income for the many fishermen who made a living from catching and selling fish. It is here where Jesus chose to begin his public ministry. He began by calling people to “repent and believe in the gospel.”

The Gospel According to Mark

In the Gospel for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:14-20), Jesus approached his first disciples, Simon and Andrew. His proposition was interesting: “drop what you are doing” and follow him. Their mission would be to catch people in the net of God’s love. Inviting simple fishermen to accompany him on his mission might have seemed an odd choice for Jesus, but the experienced fisherman is well qualified to handle all kinds of hard work with patience and perseverance. Their ability to weather storms would come in handy when fishing for people. They might not have been the obvious choices for founding his church, but in following Jesus they learned, grew in wisdom and learned how to continue Jesus’ mission after his death and resurrection. 

Homework

Jesus invites us to continue his mission today. We might not know how to fish, but we have experience with stormy days and hard work. We are his choice to continue building his church, which requires patience and perseverance. Jesus calls us today to be “fishers of men.” How will we respond?