Sirach 17:22
22 He holds a man’s almsgiving dear as a priceless signet ring; he cherishes a good deed like the apple of his eye.
Sirach 18:16-17
16 Does not dew temper the heat? So, too, a kind word is much better than a gift.
1 Corinthians 3:18-23
1 Corinthians 3:18-23
17 The gift is not as valuable as the words which accompany it, but a generous man brings both.
Beloved, this is true because whatever we do to another You consider done to Yourself. Bearing this in mind, may I always be gentle, kind and generous with all, knowing that it is You in them that I love and serve.
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you considers himself wise in the ways of the world, let him become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s eyes. To this, Scripture says: God catches the wise in their own wisdom. 20 It also says: The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is useless.
21 Because of this, let no one become an admirer of humans, for everything belongs to you, 22 Paul, Apollos, Cephas—life, death, the present and the future. Everything is yours, 23 and you, you belong to Christ, and Christ is of God.
To be wise in the ways of the world is somehting that people of the world admire. Clever, witty talk filled with sly innuendo. That is not the way of those who choose to follow THE WAY. All people and things exist in Christ to the glory of God.
Luke 5:1-11
1 One day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, 2 he caught sight of two boats left at the water’s edge by the fishermen now washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There he sat and continued to teach the crowd.
4 When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets.” 6 This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking.
8 Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made 10 and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” 11 So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.
Beloved, everything You did had significance. It was not a spur of the moment impulse that made You choose Peter's boat. You sat there, as You are sit on Your throne in heaven, and You began to teach the crowd, as You continue to teach and guide all Christians through the Chair of Peter and his successors.
You had a special mission for Peter and the apostles so You asked them to go further into the deep. In shallow waters there is neither risk nor gain.
We too must be ready to cast aside all or preconceived ideas when You call us to do something we think may be foolish. Obedience is one of the keys to unlock the treasures of heaven. The second is humility. We need a combination of both if we wish to enter Your heart. Like Peter, we must be prepared to acknowledge that we are sinners. What we know amounts to little more than a heap of dust. However, if we are willing to be challenged by You and by the Gospel we too can become fishers of men for the glory of God and His Kingdom.
Psalm 24:1-6
1The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord,
the world and all that dwell in it.
2 He has founded it upon the ocean
and set it firmly upon the waters.
3 Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure heart,
who desire not what is vain,
and never swear to a lie.
5 They will receive blessings from the Lord,
a reward from God, their savior.
6 Such are the people who seek him,
who seek the face of Jacob’s God.
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