{"id":31089,"date":"2017-09-07T15:58:43","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T19:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=31089"},"modified":"2017-09-12T01:15:12","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T05:15:12","slug":"going-into-the-deep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/going-into-the-deep\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Into the Deep","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
\n for September 7th, 2017
\n Thursday\u00a0of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time<\/p>\n

Liturgical texts\u00a0here<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

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WHEN<\/strong> Jesus speaks to the crowds, he does so in the shallows of the lake. There, He speaks to them at their level, in parables, in simplicity. For He knows that many are only curious, seeking the sensational, following at a distance…. But when Jesus desires to call the Apostles to Himself, He asks them to put out “into the deep.”<\/p>\n

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Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. (Today’s Gospel)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This instruction might have seemed somewhat bizarre to Simon Peter. For good fishing tends to be in shallower waters, or near drop-offs that lead to the depths. Moreover, the further out to sea they go, the more at risk they are of being caught in stormy waters. Yes, Jesus asks Simon to go against the grain of his flesh, against his instincts, against his fears… and to trust<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For a long time, many of us have been following Jesus at a distance. We go to Mass regularly, say our prayers, and try to be good people. But now, Jesus is calling apostles\u00a0into the deep.\u00a0<\/em>He’s calling to Himself a people, if only a remnant, who are willing to go against the grain of their flesh, against their worldly instincts and, above all, their fears. To go against the overwhelming majority of the world today, and even portions of the Church which are descending more and more into a formalized apostasy.<\/p>\n

But as He said to Simon Peter, He now says to you and I, calmly, and with a passionate glint in His eye:<\/p>\n

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Do not be afraid… Put out into deep water… (Today’s Gospel)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We are afraid<\/a>, of course, because of what it might cost us. [1]<\/sup><\/a>cf.\u00a0Afraid of the Call<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span>