5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Lk 5:1-11)
We have a lot of miracle stories that happen in life. Perhaps the sad part is that we often fail to recognize them.
We could point out several miracles described in the Scriptures that we just read. In our tradition, there is a Latin expression that is: mysterium tremendum et facinans. The translation of this Latin phrase is: “an awesome, fascinating, mystery.” This refers to the irresistible awareness of the presence of beauty, immensity, and truth of the divine.
We have two obvious examples of this in what we read about from the bible today. The first is the experience that Isaiah had in the temple. We label what Isaiah saw as a mystical experience. As he prayed, he noticed the hem of a garment. The robe was huge. He looked up to see who wore the huge ornate garment. High above him sat God on a lofty thrown. Isaiah saw angels who touched his lips with burning coal. The voice of God spoke to Isaiah calling him to be a prophet. Truly, what Isaiah describes is an otherworldly experience.
The second event that we read about that is obviously miraculous, is in the Gospel. We heard of a catch of fish. Jesus wasn’t a fisherman. Fish weren’t caught in the middle of the day. Nor were they caught in large quantities like what is described. The event shocks all those who witness it.
Isaiah’s vision and the catch of fish are mysterium tremendum. We might never see such things. But do we, nonetheless, experience miracles. We reflect in these scriptures on the whole notion of vocation. A vocation is a call from God. What we are saying is that a vocation is divinely inspired.
Peter’s decision to become a disciple of Jesus should strike us as mysterium tremendum. He decides to leave his family, his neighbors, his home, his occupation behind to follow Jesus. He feels an overwhelming urge to put something else ahead of all those other considerations. He puts his relationship with Jesus first in his life. His is a very unselfish act. He isn’t prone to do such things. He says, “Leave me Lord for I am a sinful man.” What is the root of all sinfulness? The root of sin is selfishness. Peter doesn’t make a self-serving decision. Perhaps this is the first time in his life that he has done such a thing. He is overwhelmed by the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Someone once said: “There are certain moments when people are overcome by irrepressible urges to leave self-concern behind to do something selfless.” We could compare it to falling in love. We commemorate “World Marriage Day” today. We recognize those who have been married for long amounts of time. With every couple there is a love story. And love stories are always fascinating. The past week I heard the story of a couple who met at the car wash. I heard another story of a man who pursued his future wife for weeks asking her to go on a date many times. At a certain point she decided to give this persistent suitor a chance. In the end they had a marriage that lasted for decades. Wouldn’t it be fascinating to hear the love stories from each couple celebrating their anniversary tonight?
Truly, the events that lead to marriage are often a mysterium tremendum. A Christian marriage calls for the man and woman to set aside self-centered agendas. The husband and wife put the other party first. And if they are so blessed, they share themselves with children. On the surface it makes no sense. Why would a person give up personal autonomy to become answerable to a spouse? Why would someone move from an “I”-centered life to a life where the constant pronoun is “we?” Perhaps it revolves around the same energy that prompted Isaiah to become a prophet of the Lord.
Vocations are shrouded in mystery. Vocations are life choices that are a response to the call of God. Vocations aren’t undertaken for egocentric reasons but to give oneself away. If we believe that our vocation is mysterium tremendum then we live out our vocational choice with a profound trust in the guiding hand of the God who calls us by name.