41. Preaching From the Sea and the Miraculous Catch of Fish. Mk. 2:1; Lk. 5:1–11

After several days, Christ the Lord came to Capernaum again.

Once, as the crowd pressed around Him to hear the word of God, while He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, He saw two boats lying there by the lake; and the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the shore and, sitting down, taught the crowd from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon: Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. Simon answered and said: Master! we toiled all night and took nothing; but at Your word I will let down the nets. When they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish, and even their net was beginning to break. And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at the knees of the Lord Jesus and said: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! For amazement had seized him and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and likewise James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said to Simon: Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.

And when they had brought both boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.