Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
1 Cor 15:1-11
Lk 5:1-11

“For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
“Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
I think that this can describe how most of us feel, we are sinful, unclean, unworthy of the lord, unworthy of doing the work of the lord, incapable of doing the work of the Lord. Well, guess what? You’re right! We are unclean, we are sinful, we are unworthy. But should that really prevent us from taking up the work of the Lord? If we wait for the day that we are worthy, we will be waiting a long, long, time. On our own we will never be worthy or able. That unworthiness, however, should never become an excuse, an excuse that we use to free ourselves from the call we have from God. We are called, all of us, to do God’s work. On our own, we are not worthy, but we are never on our own. God doesn’t leave us out on an island, alone, with no help. God calls us and God gives us what we need. In Isaiah, the would be prophet was cleansed. Simon implored Jesus to leave, yet Jesus called to him follow me, fish now for people. Sulking, steeping ourselves in our unworthiness can become just another excuse. When God calls to us may we reply as Isaiah did, “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Deacon John
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb. 4, 2007