by Fr. Richard G. Cipolla
Duc in altum. Set out into the deep water. (Luke 5:4)
Those words of Jesus to Peter and his companions are his exhortation to these en to embark on a life that they little dreamed of, far from their fishing boats an the land and family they knew. Set out into the deep water, the deep water far away from the safety of the land, the deep water of the sea where storms arise suddenly, but also the deep water in which an abundance of fish live, ready to be caught. The fishermen had tried to catch fish all night long, but to no avail. Nothing. Nothing because this life of theirs was over. So Jesus tells them to go into the deep water, and it is here that they catch so many fish that the boats are nearly sinking with the catch. It is at this point that Simon Peter realizes, however inchoately, however unclearly, that this is a sign that points to him and his future and his role as a disciple of Jesus, and in that wonderful and touching and dramatic scene, he kneels at Jesus’ feet: Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. What a wonderful and real reaction to Peter’s understanding of the miracle of the catch of fish: to declare himself unworthy for any task that Jesus had in mind for him. A future as a follower of Jesus in the deepest sense was, in Peter’s mind, impossible. For he was a sinful man. But the response is quite clear: Fear not. From henceforth you will be catching men.
It will be to the high seas of a world that Peter the fisherman did not even know existed: the world of imperial Rome, the Roman empire, and finally to the heart of the world of that time, Rome itself, where Peter would meet his death by martyrdom. No longer would Peter be trying to catch fish. As Jesus’ disciple and the Prince of the Apostles, he would preach and teach the Gospel, he would baptize, he would offer sacrifice in the Breaking of Bread, the Eucharist, he would bring the saving grace of Christ to a world desperately in need of that grace.
But what defines Peter’s ministry is true of the priesthood in general. One of the cardinal sins for a Catholic priest is to forget, to refuse to remember who he is, and to become just a part of a clerical scene in a secular society that has forgotten where it came from, that has forgotten its roots, roots that cannot be uprooted and thrown onto a pile of dirt to be thrown away, because these roots are divine. Hey, son! Why do you want to become a priest? Well, sir, I want to help people, I want to help them to deepen their faith, I want to help them as a friend, I want to engage them, especially young people to bring them to Jesus Christ. And I would say this to this young men: then be a Protestant minister. I know some fine ministers who do exactly what you want to do. Do you know this, young man? You have not once mentioned the Mass, you have not once mentioned the Holy Sacrifice that defines what a priest is. A priest can be good or bad, a priest can care for people or not, a priest can wear lace, cufflinks and cassock and biretta and yet not identify with the basest part of his flock, which identification is the heart of the matter. Go do something else. Be a man and build stone walls. That will increase your chance of getting into heaven.
